NBA Coaches In History: Even with the best talent in the world, a team may still fail to take the championship. For a team to succeed, the coach must be excellent. The greatest NBA coaches in history guided their players to become the best versions of themselves while transforming their teams into perennial postseason challengers.
Due to their expertise, direction, and capacity to help the squad make changes both offensively and defensively, coaches are an essential component of the team. Before taking over as coaches of their respective clubs, several of these NBA coaches in history even competed in the league.
Some of the brightest coaches we have ever seen on the sidelines are Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, and Phil Jackson. Their plans were informed by their own ideas, which led to victory in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Due to their prior successes, some of the active coaches who have previously made the list include luminaries like Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra. If these coaches add more achievements to their résumés, they could potentially move up the rankings.
Top 22 NBA Coaches In History
1. Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson is unrivalled when it comes to championship victories. With an astounding 11 titles won under his belt and a postseason record of 229-104, Jackson is one of the most successful NBA coaches in history. He had three-peat success twice with the Bulls in the 1990s, once with the Lakers in the 2000s, and twice with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. There is little question that he belongs at the top of the list of all-time NBA coaches.
With a record of 1155-486 (.704) throughout the regular season, Jackson was also the best. His finest season came with the Chicago Bulls in 1995–96, when they ended the regular season with the second-highest regular season record in history (72–10).
Jackson’s coaching of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two of the best players ever, increased his notoriety.
He worked with Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Rodman, and Scottie Pippen, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame.
2. Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is unquestionably one of the greatest NBA coaches in history and is currently employed as the Spurs’ head coach. He overtook Don Nelson in the 2021–22 season to take over first place in all-time coaching victories. With 1,344 wins and counting, Popovich now owns the record for the most coaching victories in a regular season.
Popovich furthered his reputation as one of the finest in the postseason. He coached all-time greats like David Robinson and Tim Duncan during that period, and San Antonio made the playoffs for 22 consecutive seasons while also winning five championships.
Popovich’s brilliance goes beyond his personal accomplishments and achievements. Ime Udoka, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, Taylor Jenkins, and Steve Kerr were all formerly members of his coaching staff. Their own NBA clubs are thriving because of Popovich’s guidance.
3. Red Auerbach
The 1957–1969 Celtics were one of the greatest NBA dynasties ever, and Red Auerbach was its head coach. During that time, he contributed to Boston winning nine out of eleven championships, including eight straight victories from 1959 to 1966.
In both the regular season and the playoffs, Auerbach was a formidable opponent. He has an 823-426 regular-season record and a 91-60 playoff record. In 1965, he received the NBA Coach of the Year title as well.
During this time of supremacy, he coached some of the all-time greats, including Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, and Bill Russell. After finishing their playing careers, Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn went on to become head coaches.
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4. Pat Riley
Nobody comes close to Pat Riley when it comes to maximising the skills of his players. He adjusted his coaching style and plans to his players’ personalities. He received three Coach of the Year accolades and five NBA titles as a result.
Riley gained notoriety for leading the Showtime Lakers, one of the greatest NBA dynasties ever, during the 1980s. Four titles were delivered to Los Angeles under his direction as Riley made the most of the partnership between Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Twenty years later, Riley and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal won another championship.
5. Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr deserves to be considered among the top five NBA coaches in history after helping the Warriors win their fourth title. Why? Considering that this is only his ninth season, he is already sixth all-time in titles won.
Kerr isn’t wholly new when it comes to winning, despite being relatively young in comparison to other names on this list. He won three championships with the Bulls and two more with the Spurs as a player.
After nine seasons in the NBA, Kerr already has a strong coaching track record. He is a former Coach of the Year and a four-time NBA champion. In the upcoming seasons, anticipate him to add more accomplishments.
6. Larry Brown
In the NBA, Larry Brown had a significant effect on several teams. He transformed losers into postseason challengers for clubs.
During his time as a coach, Brown oversaw almost 2000 games, winning 1327 of them for a winning percentage of.568. He had a 120-115 postseason record. He got Coach of the Year recognition once more in 2001.
The only coach in history to win both an NBA and an NCAA championship is Brown. His one and only Championship with the Pistons was far more valuable since he defeated a loaded Lakers team that included Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to win it.
7. Chuck Daly
The 1980s Lakers-Celtics rivalry gave way to the Pistons’ rapid ascent to the top. They were known as “Bad Boys” because of the tough and physical kind of basketball they played. Chuck Daly was the main driving force behind it.
Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, and Joe Dumars all contributed to Detroit winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990 thanks in large part to Chuck Daly.
In the regular season, he recorded a 638-437 record, and in the postseason, he went 75-51. Additionally, he was well-known for leading the first Dream Team in 1992.
8. Red Holzman
When Red Holzman served as the head coach in the 1970s, New York was a city of champions. The only championships in history were the two they won in 1970 and 1973.
Over the course of his career, Holzman had a regular-season record of 696-603 and a playoff record of 58-47.
Before settling in New York, he worked as a coach in various locations. He became known as one of the greatest NBA coaches ever when coaching the Knicks. He was the head coach there for 14 consecutive years and was named Coach of the Year in 1970.
9. Lenny Wilkens
One of the finest NBA coaches who was formerly a player is Lenny Wilkens. Throughout his NBA career, he averaged 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. Wilkens also made the All-Star team nine times.
Numerous teams, including the Sonics, Blazers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Raptors, and Knicks, were coached by Wilkens. For 20 separate seasons, he led these clubs to the postseason.
Wilkens finished with 1,332 victories over 32 seasons, which places him third all-time in regular-season victories. In addition, he earned the Coach of the Year title in 1994 with the Hawks and the NBA championship in 1979 with the Sonics.
10. Jerry Sloan
In the NBA, Jerry Sloan excelled, especially when he played for the Bulls. Throughout his playing career, he averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Sloan was also chosen for the All-Star team twice and the All-Defensive team six times.
Sloan switched from playing for Chicago to coaching right away. Sloan was a great coach for the Jazz, leading them to 1221 victories over a period of 23 seasons.
John Stockton and Karl Malone were among the many outstanding players that helped them reach the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons when he was their coach. Sloan could have won Utah at least one title if it weren’t for Michael Jordan.
11. Don Nelson
Even though he hasn’t won a single championship, Don Nelson is one of the most successful coaches in history. With 1,335 wins from 2,398 games played, he is second among all coaches in regular-season victories.
Nelson’s tenure as coach of the We Believe Warriors is among his most cherished experiences. In an upset victory over the top-seeded Mavericks, he steered his eighth-seeded Warriors.
Despite not having that postseason success, he was still named Coach of the Year three times.
12. John Kundla
The BAA is where John Kundla’s greatness began. He won one BAA title and four NBA championships while leading the first-ever dynasty, the Minneapolis Lakers, from 1949 through 1959.
He has a 423-302 regular-season record and a.570 winning percentage. He had a winning percentage of.632 and a 60-35 playoff record, which ranked fourth among coaches who had overseen at least 50 postseason games.
13. Erik Spoelstra
What the roster looks like is irrelevant. Erik Spoelstra will find a way to win games even if his team is made up entirely of G-League and undrafted players. The best NBA coaches of all time have a reputation for doing that.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were the core of a superb group that he used in his early coaching years to win two titles. However, the Heat’s 2020 Finals appearance may have been his best accomplishment as a coach. Miami defeated powerhouses like the Celtics and Bucks despite being underdogs at the time.
In all, Spoelstra has coached the Heat for 14 seasons. He has accumulated a 660-453 regular season record and a 96-65 postseason record. Given that he is still young, it is frightening to think of what he may do as a coach going forward.
14. Rudy Tomjanovich
Never undervalue a champion’s heart, they say. During Houston’s second title run, Rudy Tomjanovich said this in an interview. One of the most famous quotes from a coach in NBA history is this one.
Rudy Tomjanovich may not have had a long coaching career compared to Lenny Wilkens or Larry Brown, but he rose to fame in the 1990s when the Rockets won back-to-back championships.
Tomjanovich amassed a regular-season record of 527-416 and a postseason record of 51-39 throughout the course of his 13-year tenure. He worked with legends like Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon.
15. Doc Rivers
In 1999, Doc Rivers began working as a coach with the Magic. He led a struggling Orlando club there to a 41-41 record, earning the Coach of the Year title in the process. However, it’s possible that his 2008 NBA championship victory with the Celtics over their fiercest rival, the Lakers, was his finest achievement as a coach.
Along with the Celtics, Rivers also led the Lob City Clippers, a dominant squad including Chris Paul, Blake Gryphon, and DeAndre Jordan. He is now leading the Sixers, who are led by Joel Embiid.
He has amassed 1043 victories overall, good for a.587 winning percentage.
16. Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay, sometimes known as “Dr. Jack” because of his PhD, coached a variety of teams, including the 76ers, Braves, Trail Blazers, and Pacers, and guided them to the playoffs in 16 separate seasons. Over the course of 1647 games during his coaching tenure, he collected 864 victories.
When Ramsay led the Blazers, he attained success and developed into one of the most well-liked coaches. He led a losing Portland club there that hadn’t been in the playoffs or even had a winning record to the Finals. He rapidly turned the team around, and in his first year there, he even won a title.
17. Rick Carlisle
One of the NBA’s most underappreciated postseason campaigns in history belongs to the 2011 Mavericks. Rick Carlisle is the brains behind that operation. He led an ageing Dallas team to victory against the Lakers, Thunder, and Heat in the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki became renowned as one of the greatest players of all time thanks to that one championship.
Overall, Carlisle has an 861-746 regular-season record and a 63-70 postseason record. In 2002, while working for the Pistons, he additionally received a Coach of the Year award.
18. Bill Fitch
Bill Fitch was called upon by struggling franchisees to restore their aspirations. Fitch didn’t care; he still agreed to become the head coach of undesirable organisations like the Cavaliers, Nets, and Clippers. Despite this, he was able to win 944 games over his coaching tenure.
Fitch gained the moniker ‘Captain Video’ because he pioneered the practice of videotaping games and practises in order to study his players and rivals. This commitment paid off as he guided his teams to the playoffs in 13 of his 14 seasons and helped the Celtics win the title in 1981. He won Coach of the Year honours twice as well.
19. Rick Adelman
Back then, with Clyde Drexler as his star player, Rick Adelman was crucial to Portland’s success. In 1990 and 1992, he guided the Blazers to berths in the Finals.
In his 23 seasons as an NBA head coach, Adelman guided the Blazers, Kings, and Rockets to the postseason 16 times. In all of his games coached, he has 1,042 victories. The fact that he set the standard high for every team he led justifies his inclusion in the list of the best NBA coaches of all time, even if he never received a title or Coach of the Year honour.
20. K.C. Jones
K.C. Jones, like Tom Heinsohn, was a member of the Celtics dynasty in the 1960s and helped them win eight titles. Due to his tenacious defence and hustling, he was a crucial member of the lineup. Following his playing career, he quickly moved up to coaching.
Jones worked as a coach for several different teams until joining the Celtics in 1984. He was once more a member of a Boston dynasty. In the regular season, he had a winning percentage of.643, and in the postseason, it was.570. In the end, Jones was a key component in the C’s winning two championships alongside Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale.
These are the Top 20 NBA Coaches In History. Let us know your reviews in the comment section below.
