Top 5 Most Famous NBA Head Coaches
With more than 2 billion followers, you would agree that NBA is now a sport with a cult-like following, just like soccer and NFL. At the center of it are NBA coaches who put in the work to birth superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and many others to break and set records.
In the NBA, coaches play a crucial role in shaping teams and leading them to victory. In fact, some of the most famous coaches have left an indelible mark on the sport. Explore our list of the 5 most famous NBA coaches and discover the sign-up bonus offered by one of our favorite sports betting platforms, allowing you to find out more about the odds and values of the league’s teams.
The following is a list of the most famous basketball coaches:
Mike D’Antoni
Mike D’Antoni made a huge contribution to the NBA. Considered a prolific and tactical innovator in the sport, the legacy of Mike D’Antoni overweighs most of his peers. He is particularly credited with innovative approaches to offensive play. D’Antoni breathed a lease of life into the pacey game we enjoy today.
The Italian NBA tactician has coached at least ten different teams in a career spanning at least two decades. He is currently working as an NBA coaching adviser, a role he extends to the New Orleans Pelicans. During his time at Phoenix Suns, he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for the 2004/5 season. He received the same award as Rockets coach in the 2016-17 NBA season.
Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle isn’t only a legendary NBA tactician but also a genius at it. He won big even with the most inexperienced players. The most memorable moment in his career is when he won 50 games in two different seasons and also when he secured three playoffs.
Rick Carlisle’s debut campaign with the Indiana Pacers saw him get a 61-win run. His time at Dallas Mavericks came with a title, a feat he achieved against top-tier players and star-studded teams like Miami Heat. With that, Carlisle undoubtedly ranks highly among the top NBA coaches of the last decade.
Steve Kerr
It was not a happenstance that in 2022, the NBA named Steve Kerr as one of the greatest coaches ever in the association. Kicking off a coaching career in 2014, Kerr became a three-time NBA champion before the maiden NBA honor. The NBA coach is known for an offensive system and a well-oiled defense that is always a step ahead of opponents. Today, the Lebanese-born American NBA coach boasts at least five championships and two appearances in the finals.
He retired in 2003, notably as an all-time tactician with the highest three-point shooting percentage in a single season. As a player, Steve Kerr is the only one to have won four NBA titles on the bounce.
Gregg Popovich
Popovich’s story in the history of the NBA and by extension, the development of the sport, is one that deserves a chapter in any NBA record book.
Recent Popovich’s contract renewal deal with San Antonio Spurs of $80 million spread across five years is a testament to a man whose ingenuity and tactical prowess remain treasured even at the age of 74. Such is a deal worthy of a coach NBA will treasure forever.
Moreover, Popovich has won the Coach of the Year award at least five times and was named among the greatest basketball coaches of all time by the NBA. Known to establish a personal connection with players, their families and assistance, the good relationship he establishes with his team on and off the pitch has been a career highlight.
Phil Jackson
When Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant pulled the strings in the NBA, Phil Jackson was there as the coach. He is the man who never settled for less, noting that the NBA coach boasts at least a .700 career winning percentage.
Phil Jackson is also credited with 11 championship titles; a double-digit record he holds to date. For 20 seasons, Jackson worked with the NBA’s all-time greats. He believed in his players, which made all the difference in his long NBA coaching career.
