Pitt men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon has been named the USA basketball national coach of the year.

Dixon led the USA 19-and-under team to a gold medal in the FIBA world championships this summer in New Zealand.

The gold medal was the first for the 19-and-under team since 1991.

"Jamie Dixon has established himself as one of the finest collegiate coaches there is in the game today and this past summer he proved himself on the international court, too, USA basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. "In leading the USA men's U19 team to the world championship, he not only accomplished something that the U.S. had not done since 1991, but to do so he had to quickly form a team from 12 individual players and earn their respect and confidence. He obviously did so and his team responded by nine games in an impressive team manner."

Past winners of the award include: Mike Krzyzewski, Larry Brown and Jim Boeheim.

"This is a tremendous honor from an outstanding organization," Dixon said.

USA Basketball has also nominated Dixon for the U.S. Olympic committee's 2009 national coach of the year award, which is expected to be announced in January.

Dixon and Pitt sophomore Ashton Gibbs will be honored before this evening's game against Binghamton for winning the gold medal. Gibbs was one of the key member's of Dixon's squad.

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