Rapper and entertainment mogul Snoop Dogg has joined Team USA as its first-ever honorary coach, a move the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee hopes will bring a dose of West Coast swagger to the American squad at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
The USOPC announced Thursday that “Coach Snoop” will serve as part of the “Team Behind the Team” – the coaches, medical staff, administrators and partners who support U.S. athletes as they chase medals in Italy.
“Team USA athletes are the real stars – I’m just here to cheer, uplift and maybe drop a little wisdom from the sidelines,” Snoop said in a statement. “This team shows what sport is all about: talent, heart and hustle. If I can bring a little more love and motivation, that’s a win for me.”
USOPC Chief Executive Sarah Hirshland said Snoop’s first meeting with Team USA athletes felt less like a corporate partnership and more like someone slipping naturally into the locker room.
“From the moment Snoop met Team USA athletes, there was an instant connection – mutual respect, genuine curiosity and a lot of laughter,” she said.
“His enthusiasm for the Olympic and Paralympic movement is contagious, and we’re thrilled to officially welcome him as a member of the Team Behind the Team.”
Snoop, born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., was a ubiquitous presence at the Paris Olympics, serving as a hype man for Team USA and performing at a beach party in his native Long Beach during the handover ceremony for Los Angeles 2028.
“From the moment I rolled into Paris, I was instantly welcomed into the USOPC family,” he said. “I felt the energy, the pride and the love of sport that make this team special. The way the staff lifts up the athletes... the way the athletes inspire the world... it had me hooked from day one.”
The 54-year-old Californian has a long history in grassroots sports through the Snoop Youth Football League, which the USOPC says has supported more than 15,000 young athletes, including those with disabilities.
The honorary coaching gig adds to Snoop’s previously announced role with Olympic broadcaster NBCUniversal during February’s Milano Cortina Games, further cementing his status as an unlikely but increasingly permanent character in the Olympic universe.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Let’s fire up Team USA together.”
