The 55-year-old was born in Montella but moved to the US with his family when he was seven and became an American citzen in 1994.

Aureimma, who has guided the University of Connectitut to a three-season undefeated run, replaces Anne Donovan, who led the US to their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Beijing last year.

Aureimma's first major event will be the FIBA World Championship, due to be held in the Czech Republic in September 2010.

Auriemma said: "I don't know if I can adequately describe my feelings and my emotions when I was asked to do this and how I felt ever since.

"It's an opportunity that if you're very fortunate comes once in your life and I never thought I would ever have this opportunity.

"It's just overwhelming, the emotions that run through you.

"What an incredible honor it is to be selected."

He served as an assistant coach on the 2000 US gold medal winning Olympic team and head coach for the under-18 team that won a gold medal in the World Championships the same year.

In the last 12 years the US have lost only one of their 64 matches, in the semi-final of the 2006 World Championships when they were beaten by Greece.

Auriemma said: “The greatest pressure that I ever felt in my life was walking into a building as the head coach of USA Basketball and looking at the three flag poles and knowing at the end of the game there was going to be a national anthem played, and it better be the US's or, as the Russians say, ‘We’re going to have problems.’

“That’s probably the most pressure I probably felt in my life, and I liked it.

“There are a lot of people who take it for granted that you get opportunities like this because your born in this country, you feel a sense of entitlement.

"I wasn’t, and it means a lot to me and the people I’ve grown up with to be part of this.

"I was never entitled to any of this.

"It’s something I’ve worked really hard for and I’m fortunate that I’ve been given this opportunity.

"I can’t imagine there’s anything I would ever do in my coaching career that would be as meaningful to me as winning a gold medal.”

Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of USA Basketball, said: "There is no better coach in America than Geno Auriemma and we are delighted to be able to have a coach of his calibre lead our women's national team programme through the 2012 Olympic Games.

"The USA Basketball women's national team has achieved tremendous success over the years and as winners of the last four Olympic gold medals, the expectations remain very high.

"Geno's success at UConn, both his win-loss record and the development of his players, speaks for itself and makes him a perfect choice to take hold of the reins."