The head coach is the leader of the team’s coaching staff and is responsible for grooming his players. The head coach creates the strategies based on how the opposition teams are playing. Since 1963, the NBA has been presenting an award to the best coach each season. The winner gets the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the legendary Boston Celtics coach, who led the team to nine championships from 1956 to 1966, eight of them consecutively.
The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters from the USA and Canada at the end of the regular season. The sportswriters cast a vote for first, second and third position, where first place is worth five points, second place is worth three points, and third place is worth one point. The coach with the highest point total wins the award regardless of the number of first-place votes he receives.
List of all coaches who have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award
Since 1963, there have been 40 recipients of this award as of May 2025. Below is the list of all coaches who have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award:
| Season | Coach | Nationality | Team | W–L | Win% |
| 1962–63 | Harry Gallatin | United States | St. Louis Hawks | 48–32 | 60% |
| 1963–64 | Alex Hannum | United States | San Francisco Warriors | 48–32 | 60% |
| 1964–65 | Red Auerbach | United States | Boston Celtics | 62–18 | 78% |
| 1965–66 | Dolph Schayes | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | 55–25 | 69% |
| 1966–67 | Johnny Kerr | United States | Chicago Bulls | 33–48 | 41% |
| 1967–68 | Richie Guerin | United States | St. Louis Hawks | 56–26 | 68% |
| 1968–69 | Gene Shue | United States | Baltimore Bullets | 57–25 | 70% |
| 1969–70 | Red Holzman | United States | New York Knicks | 60–22 | 73% |
| 1970–71 | Dick Motta | United States | Chicago Bulls | 51–31 | 62% |
| 1971–72 | Bill Sharman | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | 69–13 | 84% |
| 1972–73 | Tom Heinsohn | United States | Boston Celtics | 68–14 | 83% |
| 1973–74 | Ray Scott | United States | Detroit Pistons | 52–30 | 63% |
| 1974–75 | Phil Johnson | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | 44–38 | 54% |
| 1975–76 | Bill Fitch | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | 49–33 | 60% |
| 1976–77 | Tom Nissalke | United States | Houston Rockets | 49–33 | 60% |
| 1977–78 | Hubie Brown | United States | Atlanta Hawks | 41–41 | 50% |
| 1978–79 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | United States | Kansas City Kings | 48–34 | 59% |
| 1979–80 | Bill Fitch | United States | Boston Celtics | 61–21 | 74% |
| 1980–81 | Jack McKinney | United States | Indiana Pacers | 44–38 | 54% |
| 1981–82 | Gene Shue | United States | Washington Bullets | 43–39 | 52% |
| 1982–83 | Don Nelson | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | 51–31 | 62% |
| 1983–84 | Frank Layden | United States | Utah Jazz | 45–37 | 55% |
| 1984–85 | Don Nelson | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | 59–23 | 72% |
| 1985–86 | Mike Fratello | United States | Atlanta Hawks | 50–32 | 61% |
| 1986–87 | Mike Schuler | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | 49–33 | 60% |
| 1987–88 | Doug Moe | United States | Denver Nuggets | 54–28 | 66% |
| 1988–89 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | United States | Phoenix Suns | 55–27 | 67% |
| 1989–90 | Pat Riley | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | 63–19 | 77% |
| 1990–91 | Don Chaney | United States | Houston Rockets | 52–30 | 63% |
| 1991–92 | Don Nelson | United States | Golden State Warriors | 55–27 | 67% |
| 1992–93 | Pat Riley | United States | New York Knicks | 60–22 | 73% |
| 1993–94 | Lenny Wilkens | United States | Atlanta Hawks | 57–25 | 70% |
| 1994–95 | Del Harris | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | 48–34 | 59% |
| 1995–96 | Phil Jackson | United States | Chicago Bulls | 72–10 | 88% |
| 1996–97 | Pat Riley | United States | Miami Heat | 61–21 | 74% |
| 1997–98 | Larry Bird | United States | Indiana Pacers | 58–24 | 71% |
| 1998–99 | Mike Dunleavy | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | 35–15 | 70% |
| 1999–00 | Doc Rivers | United States | Orlando Magic | 41–41 | 50% |
| 2000–01 | Larry Brown | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | 56–26 | 68% |
| 2001–02 | Rick Carlisle | United States | Detroit Pistons | 50–32 | 61% |
| 2002–03 | Gregg Popovich | United States | San Antonio Spurs | 60–22 | 73% |
| 2003–04 | Hubie Brown | United States | Memphis Grizzlies | 50–32 | 61% |
| 2004–05 | Mike D'Antoni | United StatesItaly | Phoenix Suns | 62–20 | 76% |
| 2005–06 | Avery Johnson | United States | Dallas Mavericks | 60–22 | 73% |
| 2006–07 | Sam Mitchell | United States | Toronto Raptors | 47–35 | 57% |
| 2007–08 | Byron Scott | United States | New Orleans Hornets | 56–26 | 68% |
| 2008–09 | Mike Brown | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | 66–16 | 81% |
| 2009–10 | Scott Brooks | United States | Oklahoma City Thunder | 50–32 | 61% |
| 2010–11 | Tom Thibodeau | United States | Chicago Bulls | 62–20 | 76% |
| 2011–12 | Gregg Popovich | United States | San Antonio Spurs | 50–16 | 76% |
| 2012–13 | George Karl | United States | Denver Nuggets | 57–25 | 70% |
| 2013–14 | Gregg Popovich | United States | San Antonio Spurs | 62–20 | 76% |
| 2014–15 | Mike Budenholzer | United States | Atlanta Hawks | 60–22 | 73% |
| 2015–16 | Steve Kerr | United States | Golden State Warriors | 73–9 | 89% |
| 2016–17 | Mike D'Antoni | United StatesItaly | Houston Rockets | 55–27 | 67% |
| 2017–18 | Dwane Casey | United States | Toronto Raptors | 59–23 | 72% |
| 2018–19 | Mike Budenholzer | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | 60–22 | 73% |
| 2019–20 | Nick Nurse | United States | Toronto Raptors | 46–18 | 72% |
| 2020–21 | Tom Thibodeau | United States | New York Knicks | 41–31 | 57% |
| 2021–22 | Monty Williams | United States | Phoenix Suns | 64–18 | 78% |
| 2022–23 | Mike Brown | United States | Sacramento Kings | 48–34 | 59% |
| 2023-24 | Mark Daigneault | United States | Oklahoma City Thunder | 57-25 | 69% |
FAQs on Coach of the Year
A. Don Nelson, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley have won the award three times each.
A. Mike Brown, the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, won Coach of the Year (2022-23). He helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
A. Lenny Wilkens has lost 1,155 games as a coach, which is the highest number of games by any other coach in NBA history.
A. David Adelman has a 100% winning percentage as the head coach as of May 2025.
