# The 14 Greatest NBA Coaches of All Time

> From dynasty builders to tactical masterminds, these coaches shaped the history of professional basketball. Cast your vote for the greatest NBA coach of all time.

*By YPB Team · Published June 14, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-14-greatest-nba-coaches-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Phil Jackson** — 100% (3 votes · score 1000/1000)
   The Zen Master who won 11 NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers using the triangle offense and mindfulness.
2. **Jack Ramsay** — 0% (0 votes · score 428/1000)
   The innovative tactician who won the 1977 title with the Portland Trail Blazers and was known for his brilliant Xs-and-Os mind.
3. **Chuck Daly** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The architect of the Bad Boy Pistons who won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 and coached the original Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics.
4. **Don Nelson** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The eccentric innovator who holds the NBA record for most wins as a head coach and pioneered the small-ball 'Nellie Ball' offensive philosophy.
5. **Red Holzman** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The New York Knicks coach who led the franchise to its only two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973 with a team-first defensive philosophy.
6. **Larry Brown** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The only coach to win both an NCAA and NBA championship, known for a lifetime of excellence and his insistence on playing the right way.
7. **Erik Spoelstra** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The Miami Heat maestro who won 2 championships with LeBron James and then 2 more with Bam Adebayo, proving his brilliance across eras.
8. **Steve Kerr** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The Golden State Warriors' championship architect who won 4 titles in 8 years by implementing a revolutionary ball-movement offensive system.
9. **Gregg Popovich** — 0% (0 votes · score 200/1000)
   The San Antonio Spurs patriarch who won 5 championships across five decades and is widely considered the best tactical coach in NBA history.
10. **Red Auerbach** — 0% (0 votes · score 1/1000)
   The Boston Celtics legend who won 9 championships and built the most dominant dynasty in NBA history from the 1950s through the 1960s.
11. **Jerry Sloan** — 0% (0 votes · score 1/1000)
   The ironman coach who spent 23 seasons with the Utah Jazz, built the Stockton-to-Malone dynasty, and was one of the toughest coaches in history.
12. **Tom Thibodeau** — 0% (0 votes · score 1/1000)
   The defensive mastermind known as 'Thibs' whose suffocating schemes transformed multiple franchises and earned him a Coach of the Year award.
13. **Pat Riley** — 0% (0 votes · score 1/1000)
   The Showtime Lakers maestro who won 5 titles across two franchises and defined the glamour and intensity of NBA coaching in the 1980s.
14. **Doc Rivers** — 0% (0 votes · score 1/1000)
   The veteran coach who ended Boston's 22-year title drought in 2008 with the 'Ubuntu' Celtics and guided multiple franchises to deep playoff runs.

Tags: sports, basketball, nba, legends, all-time, coaches