NBA
5 Greatest NBA Coaches of All-Time + Fan Rankings
Create your own all-time rankings of the top 5 greatest coaches in NBA history from Phil Jackson to Gregg Popovich to Red Auerbach
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Legendary Head Coach Phil Jackson celebrated his 77th birthday on September 17th, 2022, so it’s a great time to look at the top 5 greatest NBA Head Coaches ever with him headlining the list.
With the game of basketball becoming even more innovative and introducing even more talent, coaching across the league has had to follow suit. From managing egos to setting lineups to handling the press, being a professional head coach might just be the most volatile position in sports. More times than not, the coaches are viewed as afterthoughts and a lot of what a coach does shows itself outside of the public eye. Or the things they do best are things that cannot be measured the same way that points, rebounds, and assists are tracked for players.
If the team performs well, many will credit the star players and praise them for their great basketball IQ or their late-game execution down the stretch. But if the team performs poorly, the head coach is usually the first to blame and is usually questioned for their decision-making or play-calling. Not to mention coaches have become the easiest people to put on the hot seat as the scapegoat when things go wrong. It’s a high-risk, low-reward position but the great ones are cemented forever as some of the smartest basketball minds ever.
To be considered one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, it takes much more than simply what goes on with the Xs and Os. It’s about creating and establishing a sustainable winning culture that builds dynasties, breeds Hall of Famers, and helps continue growing the game. Honorable mention includes: Chuck Daly, John Kundla, Red Holzman, Larry Brown and Erik Spoelstra could join this list soon as well.
Here are the top 5 greatest NBA coaches of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– Most HC Championships (11) | 3-Peat with 2 franchises
– Highest win % (70.4%) & Most Playoff wins (229) ever
– Most seasons (20) without 1 losing season | 1996 COTY
Viewed by many as the GOAT of all head coaches, the story of the NBA cannot be told without Phil Jackson. With his unique coaching style and the establishment of the Triangle Offense, Jackson is viewed as one of the greatest minds in all of sports with the Championships (11) to show for it.
Phil Jackson’s HOF HC resume:
– Most Championships (11) of any sport
– Highest win % (70.4%; min 500 games)
– Most Playoff Wins (229) & Games (333)
– Most seasons (20) without 1 losing season
– Highest Win% (78%) by any HC/Player with Michael Jordanpic.twitter.com/QhB3AbSLzX— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 11, 2022
– 5x NBA Champ | 3x COTY | 3rd Most Playoff Wins (170)
– Most seasons (26) as HC with 1 franchise (Spurs)
– Most career Wins (1,344) | Most seasons (19) of 50+ Wins
Through establishing a culture based on discipline and ball movement, Gregg Popovich‘s “Spurs Way” has been both a basketball and organizational philosophy that many across the league have tried to emulate through hiring coaches that come from the Popovich tree.
Gregg Popovich's NBA records:
– Career Wins (1,344)
– Seasons (26) as HC with 1 franchise
– Seasons (19) of 50+ Wins
– Consecutive winning & Playoff seasons (22)
– Fewest NBA Finals losses (1 on Ray Allen shot) with 5+ NBA Finals Wins
https://t.co/LtFPzFl46b— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 24, 2022
– 9x NBA Champ | Most consecutive Championships (8)
– T-2nd Most HC Championships (9) of any sport
– 1965 COTY | COTY Trophy was named after him in 1967
Considered to be the pioneer of modern basketball, it’s safe to say that the NBA would not be where it is today without Red Auerbach. In route to setting the foundation for the dynastic legacy of the Boston Celtics, Auerbach redefined the way basketball was played and helped break barriers in sports.
When a starting player was injured in 1964, Boston coach Red Auerbach chose Willie Naulls to step in, creating the 1st all Black starting five in the league. The choice paid off; they not only won that game but went on a 12-0 hot streak and changed the course of history #BHM pic.twitter.com/jXxbJDUBYr
— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2021
– 5X NBA Champ | 3x COTY | 5th Most Career Wins (1,210)
– 1st to win a championship as a player, coach, & executive
– 6th highest win % (63.6%) of all-time [min 500 games]
While also making a name for himself as the executive of the Heat, Pat Riley the coach was just as impressive. As an innovator of the game, Riley showed off his versatility from the finesse style of the 1980s Showtime Lakers to a more physical, defensive-minded style with the 1990s Knicks.
Pat Riley returns to New York as Miami head coach
(Dec 19, 1995) pic.twitter.com/2gvI0NzVuC
— WiltStats (@WiltStats) September 18, 2022
– 4x NBA Champ | 2016 COTY | 3rd Highest Win % (68.2%)
– Most Wins (73) in 1 season | Most Wins (67) by a rookie HC
– Best Playoff Win% (72.6) & in 1 Postseason (94.1)
Steve Kerr quickly cemented himself as one of the best coaches in NBA history. With a handful of Championships and the best regular season record of 73-9 on his resume, Kerr helped establish a dynasty that dominated the league and kept LeBron from reaching his former teammate MJ‘s six titles.
Steve Kerr's HC career resume:
– 4x NBA Champ
– 2x NBA ASG HC
– 2016 NBA Coach of the Year
– Team USA HC
– Most Wins (73) in 1 season
– Best Playoff Win% (72.6) & in 1 Postseason (94.1)
– Most Wins (67) by a rookie HC
pic.twitter.com/VDQqsbhVY2— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) September 18, 2022
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