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Due to the time it takes to climb the ranks, NBA coaches have always typically been older. Here is a deeper dive into some of the oldest men currently at the helm in 2024.
While head coaches are usually older, some teams have tried to go in a different direction. One example of this is the Utah Jazz, who have a coach in Will Hardy who is only 35-years-old.
Younger coaches have been hired, but it is more of rarity. On average, head coaches are usually in their 50s and 60s. As we dive into the oldest coaches in the NBA today, some are still going into their 70s.
Oldest NBA head coaches in the 2023-24 season:
5) Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers
Coming in at No. 5 is a coach who switched teams this past offseason, Nick Nurse. After parting ways with the Toronto Raptors, he inked a deal to replace Doc Rivers as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nurse, 56, got his first crack at coaching in the NBA in 2019. In his first season, he managed to lead the Raptors to a championship. Through the first two months of this season, the Sixers are a top team in the Eastern Conference at 23-13.
4) Steve Kerr/Billy Donovan, Golden State Warriors/Chicago Bulls
In fourth place there is a tie between Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls. Both head coaches are 58-years-old.
After having great success as a player and executive, Kerr became a coach in 2015. Since taking over for the Warriors, he had helped the franchise win four championships.
Donovan, also a former player, coached in the NCAA for years before making the jump to the NBA. He got his first gig with the OKC Thunder in 2015. After a five-year stint, he left and joined the Bulls in 2020.
3) Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers
As we enter the top three, we see a slight jump in age. Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is one of the NBA's older coaches at 64 years of age.
Carlisle's journey began in 1989, where he was an assistant coach for multiple franchises over the span of a decade. He got his first opportunity as head coach 2001 with the Detroit Pistons.
While he's coached for multiple teams, Carlisle is most known for his time with the Dallas Mavericks. The most memorable year of his tenure was 2011 when Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs took down LeBron James' Miami Heat in the NBA FInals.
2) Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Coming in at No. 2 is New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. He is currently 65, but will celebrate his 66th birthday next week.
Similar to Carlisle, Thibs spent a large portion of his career as an assistant coach. After two decades of being an assistant, he got his first head coaching gig in 2010 with the Chicago Bulls. Since then, he's also coached the Minnesota Timberwolves and been with the Knicks since 2020.
Following the OG Anunobody trade, the Knicks have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Their 22-15 record is tied for fourth place in the East.
1) Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
The oldest coach in the NBA is also the longest tenured. At the end of January, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will celebrate his 75th birthday.
Pop has been with the Spurs since 1988, but his first six years were as an assistant. He didn't take the reigns as head coach until 1996. Since then, he's served as a pillar for the franchise.
In his 28 years as head coach, Popovich has a regular season record of 1,372-791 and is 170-114 in the postseason. He's won five championship in three different decades, and been named Coach of the Year on three occasions. In 2022, Popovich was listed as one of the 15 greatest coaches in league history.
