# Who is the best coach in Dallas Mavericks history?

> One title, a couple of Finals runs and plenty of lean years in between. Weigh the bench bosses who shaped four decades of Mavericks basketball.

*By YPB Team · Published November 7, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-coach-in-dallas-mavericks-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Rick Carlisle** — score 1000/1000
   Mavericks head coach from 2008 to 2021 who led Dallas to its first NBA championship in 2011 and holds the franchise record of 555 regular-season wins.
2. **Dick Motta** — score 523/1000
   The Mavericks' first head coach, hired for the 1980 expansion season, who took Dallas to its first playoff berths in the 1980s.
3. **Jason Kidd** — score 407/1000
   Mavericks head coach from 2021 to 2026 who went 205-205 and led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.
4. **Don Nelson** — score 0/1000
   Hall of Fame coach who ran the Mavericks from 1997 to 2005, going 339-251 and building the Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash playoff teams.
5. **Avery Johnson** — score 0/1000
   Mavericks head coach from 2005 to 2008 who won 2006 NBA Coach of the Year, reached the 2006 NBA Finals and posted a franchise-best .735 winning percentage.

Tags: sports, basketball, nba, coaches, dallas mavericks