The 17 Greatest NBA Head Coaches of All Time

Dynasty architects, quiet tacticians and fiery sideline generals span every era of the pro game, from the black-and-white days to the modern hardwood. Cast your vote!

1

Red Auerbach

Architect of the Boston Celtics dynasty who won nine championships, including eight in a row.

1000pts

2

Don Nelson

Innovative offensive mind and the NBA's all-time wins leader, credited with popularizing small-ball.

943pts

3

Chuck Daly

Detroit's Bad Boys coach who won back-to-back titles and led the 1992 Dream Team.

877pts

4

Phil Jackson

Winner of a record 11 NBA titles guiding the Bulls and Lakers dynasties with his triangle offense.

771pts

5

Pat Riley

Showtime Lakers and Miami Heat leader who captured five championships across two eras.

771pts

6

Lenny Wilkens

Hall of Famer who won a title with Seattle and long held the record for career coaching wins.

692pts

7

Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors coach who won four titles fielding a record-setting, ball-movement offense.

600pts

8

Larry Brown

The only coach to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship, famed as a master teacher.

600pts

9

K.C. Jones

Celtics coach who won back-to-back titles in the 1980s after a Hall of Fame playing career.

600pts

10

John Kundla

Coach of the first NBA dynasty, winning five titles with the Minneapolis Lakers.

491pts

11

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat coach who guided the Big Three to back-to-back championships and repeated Finals runs.

360pts

12

Rudy Tomjanovich

Houston Rockets coach of back-to-back 1990s champions, famed for 'never underestimate the heart of a champion.'

360pts

13

Alex Hannum

The first coach to win NBA titles with two different franchises, breaking the Celtics' 1960s grip.

360pts

14

Red Holzman

New York Knicks coach who led the franchise to its only two championships in 1970 and 1973.

360pts

15

Doc Rivers

Championship-winning Celtics coach known for his leadership and 'ubuntu' team culture.

360pts

16

Gregg Popovich

Longtime Spurs coach with five titles and the most regular-season wins in NBA history.

200pts

17

Jerry Sloan

Utah Jazz stalwart who reached two Finals and won over 1,200 games across 23 seasons.

200pts