NBA Winners

Top 10 NBA Coaches of All Time

August 19, 2024

Basketball is a sport where the players get most of the glory, but let’s not forget about the coaches on the sidelines who do more than just complain about calls and shout plays from the sidelines.

These old-heads of strategy, or as some would say, babysitters of millionaires, have played a huge role in guiding their teams to success.

Best NBA Coaches In History

Let’s look at our top 10 NBA coaches of all time, who managed to get a bunch of talented athletes to listen to them and win a few NBA championships along the way.

1. Phil Jackson

Win Record: 1,155-485
Win %: .704
Titles Won: 11 (1991-1993, 1996-1998, 2000-2002, 2009-2010)
Games Coached: 1,640

Known as the “Zen Master,” Phil Jackson’s coaching philosophy blended Eastern spiritualism with basketball strategy, and it helped him command respect in the locker room and success on the court.

Jackson was a pioneer of the Triangle Offense, which focused on team basketball and away from relying on any individual to score. It certainly took a while to convince MJ that he may not score 35 ppg, but it did bring him 11 rings along the way.

Jackson’s 11 championships, the most by any coach in NBA history, shows his true greatness. Jackson won six titles with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and five with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers.

Those 11 NBA Championships included 3 three-peats (Two three-peats with the Bulls and one three-peat with the Lakers)

He could also play himself as a solid power forward, he played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning rings with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.

2. Red Auerbach

Win Record: 938-479
Win %: .662
Titles Won: 9 (1957, 1959-1966)
Games Coached: 1,417

A pioneer of modern basketball, Red Auerbach transformed the Boston Celtics into a dynasty during the 1950s and 1960s.

Auerbach’s Celtics won eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966, a record that still stands.

Known for his fiery personality and innovation (and cigars), Auerbach was also a trailblazer in integrating the league, coaching the first all-African American starting lineup in NBA history.

Auerbach’s nine championships as a coach place him second only to Phil Jackson, and his influence on the game endures to this day.

3. Pat Riley

Win Record: 1,210-694
Win %: .636
Titles Won: 5 (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006)
Games Coached: 1,904

Pat Riley is the man with the slick hair and mouth whos brand includes winning and adapting to different eras of basketball.

Riley first made his stamp on the league as the head coach of the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to four NBA championships in the 1980s with a fast-paced, flashy style of play.

In 2006, he led the Miami Heat to their first-ever NBA title, proving his ability to coach different styles and personalities.

Riley’s five rings, with his success in multiple franchises, cements his place among our greatest NBA coaches ever.

4. Gregg Popovich

Win Record: 1,366-761 (and counting…)
Win %: .642
Titles Won: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
Games Coached: 2,127 (and counting…)

Gregg Popovich’s sustained success with the Spurs over twenty plus years has earned him a reputation as one of the most reverred and charismatic coaches in the game.

Popovich has won five championships with the Spurs, and his teams have been a model of consistency, making the playoffs in 22 consecutive seasons (1998-2019).

Known for his defensive schemes, ability to adapt, smart-alec answers to media questions team culture, Popovich’s influence on basketball extends beyond just wins and losses—he has mentored countless coaches and players who have gone on to successful careers of their own.

5. Larry Brown

Win Record: 1,098-904
Win %: .549
Titles Won: 1 (2004)
Games Coached: 2,002

Larry Brown is the only coach to have won both an NCAA championship (Kansas 1988) and an NBA championship.

Brown’s career is highlighted by his ability to turn struggling teams into contenders.

His biggest achievement in the NBA came in 2004 when he led the Detroit Pistons to an upset win over the heavily favored Lakers in the NBA Finals.

He is also the only person ever to coach two NBA franchises in the same season (Spurs and Clippers in the 1991–92 season)

6. Chuck Daly

Win Record: 638-437
Win %: .593
Titles Won: 2 (1989, 1990)
Games Coached: 1,042

Chuck Daly is best known for coaching the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

Daly’s ability to manage the Pistons’ tough and sometimes downright dirty style of play was key to their success.

He later coached the original Dream Team roster to gold in the 1992 Olympics, further cementing his reputation as a basketball legend.

7. Jerry Sloan

Win Record: 1,221-803
Win %: .603
Titles Won: 0
Games Coached: 2,024

Jerry Sloan never won an NBA championship, but his ability to consistenty win and his long tenure as the head coach of the Utah Jazz make him one of the best coaches in NBA history.

Sloan led the Jazz to two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, where they lost to Phil Jackson’s Bulls.

Despite not having a ring on his finger, Sloan’s ability to get the most out of his players, his emphasis on discipline, and his devotion to the game earned him a place in the Hall of Fame.

8. Steve Kerr

Win Record: 473-190 (and counting)
Win %: .713
Titles Won: 4 (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)
Games Coached: 663 (and counting)

Steve Kerr’s impact as a coach has been nothing short of awesome.

After taking over the Golden State Warriors in 2014, Kerr led them to four NBA championships over eight seasons, including a record-breaking 73-win season in 2016.

Kerr’s ability to implement a modern, fast-paced style of play that focuses on ball movement and three-point shooting has changed the game. Thanks in no short part to all time three-point leader Steph Curry.

His coaching career is still in progress, but Kerr’s success in a short time span is already worthy of recognition.

9. Lenny Wilkens

Win Record: 1,332-1,155
Win %: .536
Titles Won: 1 (1979)
Games Coached: 2,487

Lenny Wilkens is one of the winningest coaches in NBA history, ranking second all-time in career wins.

He coached multiple teams over a 32-year career, with his crowning achievement coming in 1979 when he led the Seattle SuperSonics to their first and only NBA championship.

Wilkens was also known for his ability to develop young talent and his calm, steady demeanor on the sidelines.

In addition to his coaching success, Wilkens had a Hall of Fame playing career, making him one of the most respected figures in the sport.

Wilkens made a combined 13-time NBA All-Star Game appearances as a player (nine times) and as a coach (four times).

10. Erik Spoelstra

Win Record: 697-484 (and counting)
Win %: .590
Titles Won: 2 (2012, 2013)
Games Coached: 1,181 (and counting)

Erik Spoelstra has been notjing if not a consistent winner with the Miami Heat, leading the team to three NBA championships during the LeBron James era and helping them remain competitive long after.

Spoelstra is known for his defensive schemes, in-game adjustments, and ability to manage some massive egos.

A Filipino American, Eric Spoelstra is the first Asian American NBA head coach in the history of the four major North American sports leagues and the first Asian American head coach to win an NBA Championship.

The Best NBA Coaches Stastistics

Here’s a table of the statistics for the best NBA coaches in history that you didn’t know you needed, showcasing the minds behind those NBA titles in stats form.

Coach	Record	Win %	Titles	Games
Phil Jackson	1,155-485	.704	11	1,640
Red Auerbach	938-479	.662	9	1,417
Pat Riley	1,210-694	.636	5	1,904
Gregg Popovich	1,366-761	.642	5	2,127
Larry Brown	1,098-904	.549	1	2,002
Chuck Daly	638-437	.593	2	1,042
Jerry Sloan	1,221-803	.603	0	2,024
Steve Kerr	473-190	.713	4	663
Lenny Wilkens	1,332-1,155	.536	1	2,487
Erik Spoelstra	697-484	.590	2	1,181