The NBA unveiled the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA history as part of the continuing celebration of the league’s 75th Anniversary Season. The list was selected by a panel of 43 current & former NBA head coaches in collaboration with the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Click on the names below to jump to view a coach’s resume.
Red Auerbach | Larry Brown | Chuck Daly | Red Holzman | Phil Jackson | K.C. Jones | Steve Kerr | Don Nelson | Gregg Popovich | Jack Ramsay | Pat Riley | Doc Rivers | Jerry Sloan | Erik Spoelstra | Lenny Wilkens
Red Auerbach
Seasons coached: 20
Regular-season record: 938-479 (.662)
Championships: 9
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 1969
- Guided the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships (1956-57 and 1958-66).
- Ranks second in career NBA championships, behind Phil Jackson (11).
- Won a record eight consecutive NBA championships (1958-66).
- Ranks 12th on the all-time wins list in the regular season and fifth in the playoffs (99).
- Retired in 1966 as the winningest coach in NBA history and held the record until 1995.
- Has the fifth-highest winning percentage in the regular season (min. 400 games).
- Named the 1964-65 NBA Coach of the Year – his second-to-last season as coach and the third season of the award.
- Worked as a coach in each of the NBA’s first 20 seasons.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game a record 11 times.
- NBA Coach of the Year Award trophy is named in his honor.
Larry Brown
Seasons coached: 26
Regular-season record: 1,098-904 (.548)
Championships: 1
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 2002
- Ranks eighth on the all-time wins list in the regular season and fourth in the playoffs (100).
- Tied for fourth place in seasons coached and ranks sixth in regular-season games coached (2,002).
- Coached an NBA-record eight different franchises to the playoffs: Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets), San Antonio Spurs, LA Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets).
- Guided Detroit to the NBA championship in 2003-04.
- Reached the NBA Finals with Philadelphia in 2000-01 and Detroit in 2004-05.
- Named the 2000-01 NBA Coach of the Year with the 76ers.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game twice.
- Received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2021.
Chuck Daly
Seasons coached: 14
Regular-season record: 638-437 (.593)
Championships: 2
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 1994
- Guided the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles (1988-89, 1989-90).
- Ranks 25th on the all-time wins list in the regular season and tied for 14th in the playoffs (75).
- Has the 12th-highest regular-season winning percentage (min. 400 games).
- Recorded a .595 winning percentage in the playoffs (75-51).
- Qualified for the playoffs in 12 of his 13 full seasons as an NBA coach.
- Posted a 467-271 record (.633) in nine seasons with Detroit – the winningest coach in franchise history.
- Led the Pistons to five straight seasons of at least 50 victories from 1986-87 – 1990-91.
- Coached Detroit to the NBA Finals in 1987-88, the first of three appearances in a row.
- National Basketball Coaches Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award is named in his honor.
Red Holzman
Seasons coached: 18
Regular-season record: 696-603 (.536)
Championships: 2
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 1986
- Ranks 20th on the all-time wins list in the regular season and 19th in the playoffs (58).
- Retired in 1982 as the second-winningest coach in NBA history.
- Guided the New York Knicks to two NBA championships (1969-70, 1972-73).
- Led New York to a 613-483 record (.559) in 14 seasons – the winningest coach in franchise history.
- Coached the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1971-72.
- Named the 1969-70 NBA Coach of the Year – the first winner of the award in Knicks history.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game twice.
Phil Jackson
Seasons coached: 20
Regular-season record: 1,155-485 (.704)
Championships: 11
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 2007
- Holds the record for most NBA championships as coach.
- Won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98) and five with the Los Angeles Lakers (1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09 and 2009-10).
- Has the most career playoff victories (229).
- Ranks seventh on the all-time regular-season wins list.
- Owns the highest winning percentage in the regular season (min. 400 games) and second-highest winning percentage in the playoffs at .688 (min. 25 games).
- Won three consecutive NBA championships twice with the Bulls and once with the Lakers.
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 1995-96 after leading the Bulls to a then-record 72 wins.
- Worked as coach in the NBA Finals a record 13 times.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game four times.
K.C. Jones
Seasons coached: 10
Regular-season record: 522-252 (.674)
Championships: 2
- Has the fourth-highest regular-season winning percentage (min. 400 games)
Guided the Boston Celtics to two NBA championships (1983-84 and 1985-86). - Led the Celtics to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances (1983-84 – 1986-87).
- Posted a winning percentage of .751 (308-102) in five seasons as Boston’s coach.
- Coached the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) to NBA Finals in 1974-75.
- Ranks ninth on the all-time playoff wins list (81).
- Compiled a record of .500 or better in every season as an NBA coach.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game five times.
- Co-recipient (with Jerry Sloan) of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2016.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1989).
Steve Kerr
Seasons coached: 8
Regular-season record: 417-184 (.694)
Championships: 3
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
- Guided the Golden State Warriors to three NBA championships in his first four seasons as a coach (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18).
- Stands as one of six coaches to win three or more NBA championships.
- Led Golden State to five consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2014-15 – 2018-19), the second-longest streak in league history.
- Has the highest playoff winning percentage in NBA history (min. 25 games) at .733 (77-28).
- Ranks third in career regular-season winning percentage (min. 400 games).
- Joined assistant coach/interim coach Luke Walton in leading the Warriors to an NBA-record 73 wins in 2015-16.
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 2015-16.
- Coached the Warriors to NBA records for the most playoff victories in a row (15) and the best single-season playoff winning percentage (.941; 16-1 record), both in the 2016-17 season.
- Has served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game twice.
Don Nelson
Seasons coached: 31
Regular-season record: 1,335-1,063 (.557)
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 3
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 2012
- Has the most regular-season victories in NBA history.
- Surpassed Lenny Wilkens on April 7, 2010, as the winningest coach in NBA history.
- Ranks second in seasons coached and regular-season games coached (2,398).
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 1982-83, 1984-85 and 1991-92.
- Shares the NBA record for most Coach of the Year awards (along with Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich).
- Won at least 300 games with three different franchises: Milwaukee Bucks (540), Golden State Warriors (422) and Dallas Mavericks (339).
- Recorded 13 seasons with 50 or more wins, including two with 60 victories.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game twice.
Gregg Popovich
Seasons coached: 26
Regular-season record: 1,330-687 (.661)
Championships: 5
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 3
- Ranks third on the all-time wins list in both the regular season and playoffs (170).
- Has the most combined victories across the regular season and playoffs (1,496).
- Guided the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships: 1998-99, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2013-14.
- Tied for the third-most NBA championships (along with John Kundla and Pat Riley).
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2013-14.
- Shares the NBA record for most Coach of the Year awards (along with Don Nelson and Pat Riley).
- Has coached San Antonio for 26 seasons, the longest tenure with one franchise in NBA history.
- Ranks sixth in career regular-season winning percentage (min. 400 games).
- Served as a coach in the NBA All-Star Game four times.
Jack Ramsay
Seasons coached: 21
Regular-season record: 864-783 (.525)
Championships: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 1992
- Ranks 14th on the all-time regular-season wins list.
- Retired as the second-winningest coach in NBA history.
- Led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA championship in 1976-77.
- Coached four different franchises to the playoffs: Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Buffalo Braves (now LA Clippers) and Indiana Pacers.
- Guided Portland to the playoffs in nine of his 10 seasons as its coach.
- The winningest coach in Trail Blazers history (453 regular-season victories).
- Led Buffalo to the first three playoff berths in franchise history.
- Named co-recipient (along with Tex Winter) of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2010.
Pat Riley
Seasons coached: 24
Regular-season record: 1,210-694 (.636)
Championships: 5
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 3
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 2008
- Ranks fifth on the all-time wins list in the regular season and second in the playoffs (171).
- Led the Los Angeles Lakers to four NBA championships (1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87 and 1987-88) and the Miami Heat to one (2005-06).
- Tied for the third-most NBA championships (along with John Kundla and Gregg Popovich).
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 1989-90, 1992-93 and 1996-97.
- Shares the NBA record for most Coach of the Year awards (along with Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich).
- Only coach to be selected as NBA Coach of the Year with three different franchises (Lakers, Heat and New York Knicks).
- Has the seventh-highest winning percentage in the regular season (min. 400 games).
- Served as a coach in the NBA All-Star Game nine times.
- Received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2012.
Doc Rivers
Seasons coached: 22
Regular-season record: 1,024-725 (.585)
Championships: 1
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
- Ranks 10th on the all-time wins list in the regular season and tied for sixth in the playoffs (98).
- Led the Boston Celtics to the 2007-08 NBA championship.
- Guided Boston to the NBA Finals in 2009-10.
- Ranks 11th in regular-season games coached (1,749).
- Has coached four different franchises to the playoffs: Celtics, Orlando Magic, LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
- Named NBA Coach of the Year for 1999-2000 with Orlando – his first season as an NBA coach.
- Winningest coach in Clippers history (356 regular-season victories).
- Qualified for the playoffs in 17 of his previous 22 seasons as an NBA coach.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game three times.
Jerry Sloan
Seasons coached: 26
Regular-season record: 1,221-803 (.603)
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 2009
- Ranks fourth on the all-time regular-season wins list.
- Has the sixth-most victories in the playoffs (98).
- Served as coach of the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons, the second-longest tenure with a team in NBA history.
- Coached in the fourth-most games in both the regular season (2,024) and playoffs (202).
- Guided the Jazz to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
- Led Utah to 15 straight playoff appearances from 1988-89 – 2002-03.
- First coach to win 1,000 regular-season games with one team.
- Recorded three seasons with 60 or more wins and 13 seasons with 50 or more wins.
- Named co-recipient (with K.C. Jones) of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2016.
Erik Spoelstra
Seasons coached: 14
Regular-season record: 642-444 (.591)
Championships: 2
- Guided the Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
- Ranks 24th on the all-time wins list in the regular season and eighth in the playoffs (85).
- Led Miami to five NBA Finals appearances and 10 playoff berths in the previous 13 seasons.
- Coached the Heat to four straight NBA Finals appearances (2010-11 – 2013-14), one of five coaches to reach four Finals in a row.
- Has served as Miami’s coach for 14 seasons, tied for the fourth-longest tenure with a franchise in NBA history.
One of nine coaches to win an NBA championship in consecutive seasons. - Winningest coach in Heat history (642 regular-season victories).
- Set to serve as coach in the NBA All- Star Game for the second time.
Lenny Wilkens
Seasons coached: 32
Regular-season record: 1,332-1,155 (.536)
Championships: 1
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 1
Basketball Hall of Fame Class: 1998 ( Coach)
- Ranks second on the all-time regular-season wins list.
Holds NBA records for seasons coached and regular-season games coached (2,487). - Surpassed Red Auerbach on Jan. 6, 1995, as the winningest coach in NBA history – a record that Wilkens held until 2010.
- First NBA coach to win 1,000 regular-season games.
Guided the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA championship in 1978-79. - Named the 1993-94 NBA Coach of the Year with the Atlanta Hawks.
- Served as coach in the NBA All-Star Game four times.
- Received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2011.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach and a player (1989).
- Recently selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team as a player.