5 Coaches With the Most Wins in NBA History

Two of the greatest coaches ever in NBA history. Gregg Popovich & Don Nelson
Two of the greatest coaches ever in NBA history. Gregg Popovich & Don Nelson

#3 Jerry Sloan - 1,221 Wins

Jerry Sloan, original name Gerald Eugene Sloan, was nicknamed 'Spider'
Jerry Sloan, original name Gerald Eugene Sloan, was nicknamed 'Spider'

After a knee injury ended Sloan’s playing career, he became the Bulls’ coach in 1979 but was fired after two and a half seasons for trying to rebuild the team.

The great Jerry Sloan was the first coach in NBA history to register 1,000 wins with a single team, Utah Jazz. His stretch as head coach of the Jazz was preceded by a three-year stint as assistant coach.

Sloan built the team into a dominant force in the Western Conference. He took them to the NBA Finals twice(losing in 1997 and 1998), along with six division championships and 10 seasons with greater than 50 wins.

Blessed with the gifted duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, Sloan earned one of the best career winning percentages in league history.

Sloan was as fiery as a coach as he was as a player, infamous for serving suspensions for pushing referees multiple times. Despite his impressive winning success, he never won the NBA Coach of the Year award. With a career record of 1,221 wins and 803 losses, he resigned as coach of the Jazz abruptly.

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