Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
Alongside the selection of the 50 greatest players, was the selection of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History. The list was compiled based upon unranked selection undertaken exclusively by members of the print and broadcast media who regularly cover the NBA. All 10 coaches named were alive at the time of the list's announcement, and four of them—Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Lenny Wilkens—were then active. Three have since died: Red Holzman in 1998, Red Auerbach in 2006, and Chuck Daly in 2009. Jackson was the last of the ten to coach in the NBA; he announced his retirement after the 2010–11 season. Nelson was the only member to have never won a championship as a coach, even though he won five as a player. Wilkens was the only member of the coaches list to have been selected as a member of the players list.
| ^ | Denotes coach who is still active |
| * | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| *^ | Active coach who has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Year | Denotes year of Basketball Hall of Fame induction |
| Coach | Team(s) coached (years) | Coaching record | Championships won as coach | Coach of the Year award(s) won | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auerbach, RedRed Auerbach* | Washington Capitols Tri-Cities Blackhawks Boston Celtics |
6999662000000000000 938–479 (.662) | 7000900000000000000 9 | 7000100000000000000 1 | 1969 | |
| Daly, ChuckChuck Daly* | Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons New Jersey Nets Orlando Magic |
6999598000000000000 564–379 (.598) 638–437 (.593) |
7000200000000000000 2 | 5000000000000000000 None | 1994 | |
| Fitch, BillBill Fitch | Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics Houston Rockets New Jersey Nets Los Angeles Clippers |
6999460000000000000 944–1106 (.460) | 7000100000000000000 1 | 7000200000000000000 2 | 5000000000000000000 — | |
| Holzman, RedRed Holzman* | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks New York Knicks |
6999535000000000000 696–604 (.535) | 7000200000000000000 2 | 7000100000000000000 1 | 1986 | |
| Jackson, PhilPhil Jackson* | Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Lakers |
6999721000000000000 414–160 (.721) 1155–485 (.704) |
7001110000000000000 11 | 7000100000000000000 1 | 2007 | |
| Kundla, JohnJohn Kundla* | Minneapolis Lakers | 6999582990000000000 423–302 (.583) | 7000500000000000000 5 | 5000000000000000000 None | 1995 | |
| Nelson, DonDon Nelson* | Milwaukee Bucks Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Dallas Mavericks |
6999574990000000000 851–629 (.575) 1335–1063 (.557) |
5000000000000000000 None | 7000300000000000000 3 | 2012 | |
| Ramsay, JackJack Ramsay* | Philadelphia 76ers Buffalo Braves Portland Trail Blazers Indiana Pacers |
6999525000000000000 864–783 (.525) | 7000100000000000000 1 | 5000000000000000000 None | 1992 | |
| Riley, PatPat Riley* | Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks Miami Heat |
6999702000000000000 798–339 (.702) 1210–694 (.636) |
7000500000000000000 5 | 7000300000000000000 3 | 2008 | |
| Wilkens, LennyLenny Wilkens* | Seattle SuperSonics Portland Trail Blazers Cleveland Cavaliers Atlanta Hawks Toronto Raptors New York Knicks |
6999544000000000000 1014–850 (.544) 1332–1155 (.536) |
7000100000000000000 1 | 7000100000000000000 1 | 1998 |
Read more about this topic: 50 Greatest Players In NBA History
Famous quotes containing the words top, coaches and/or history:
“I can’t forget
How she stood at the top of that long marble stair
Amazed, and then with a sleepy pirouette
Went dancing slowly down to the fountain-quieted square;”
—Richard Wilbur (b. 1921)
“The real persuaders are our appetites, our fears and above all our vanity. The skillful propagandist stirs and coaches these internal persuaders.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
“Those who weep for the happy periods which they encounter in history acknowledge what they want; not the alleviation but the silencing of misery.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)