Ranking All NBA Coaches From 30 To 1

Coaching is at a premium in today’s game

We are lucky to witness some legendary coaches in the NBA right now

There are high expectations for some coaches whose jobs can be on the line at some point this season

Coaching in the National Basketball Association is both an art and a science, a complex blend of strategy, leadership, and player management. As the league continues to evolve, with new talent and innovative approaches to the game, the role of an NBA coach has never been more critical. In this in-depth exploration, we embark on a journey to rank the 30 best NBA coaches right now, delving into their accomplishments, innovations, and the impact they've had on their respective teams.

From seasoned legends to up-and-coming tacticians, join us in celebrating the minds behind the game and their invaluable contributions to the world of professional basketball. The best coaches right now not only know how to develop young talent but also boost the production of their most talented players and push toward an improved season. Without further ado, here is the ranking of every NBA coach in the 2023-24 campaign.

30. Wes Unseld Jr. - Washington Wizards

Wes Unseld Jr. has a ton of potential as a coach not only because he is the son of an NBA legend. Unseld Jr understands the game, knows who his best players are, and will try to improve upon last season’s poor 35-47 record. With Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma as his best players, there is some room for improvement.

The key for Unseld Jr is to find a pattern of play or identity with the two franchise cornerstones because nobody is expecting much from the Washington Wizards this season. As long as the team remains competitive, Unseld Jr. will receive his plaudits although it won't be the smoothest season for him.

29. Darko Rajakovic - Toronto Raptors

Darko Rajakovic could prove to be an elite coach in time but he is unproven in the NBA. The Serbian comes with a reputation for being focused on the job and strict with his coaching, but will both those aspects translate when dealing with American players?

Remember, NBA players are making millions of dollars. If Rajakovic starts leading the Toronto Raptors to enough wins in the season (at least .500), he will start impressing across the league as his confidence increases. Hopefully, Toronto can improve upon last season’s 41-41 record since fans want to see an improved level of play.

28. Adrian Griffin - Milwaukee Bucks

Adrian Griffin has a tough first season as a head coach in the NBA. Having to lead Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to battle every night means a ton of pressure will be on him. However, Griffin has been an assistant coach for years and knows what it’s like to be an NBA player as well.

Griffin needs to find a way to make the partnership between Giannis and Dame work as soon as possible because Milwaukee Bucks fans might still be irritated with the firing of Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks are a title-contending team and the first-year coach needs to get up to speed as soon as possible with the hopes of a deep playoff run and possibly a Finals appearance.

27. Steve Clifford - Charlotte Hornets

Steve Clifford is experienced in the NBA but his problem might come down to a pure lack of talent this season. LaMelo Ball is certainly an All-Star and the best player on the team but Miles Bridges is dealing with off-court issues and nobody else strikes fear in opposing teams’ hearts.

Clifford could be made the scapegoat at any point this season if the Hornets don’t win enough games by the All-Star break because that is what happens in the NBA. The key for Clifford is to try to get Ball to that next level as a player because if the point guard puts up monster numbers, that will keep the coach’s job for now.

26. Jacques Vaughn - Brooklyn Nets

Many in the media and in the NBA community love Jacques Vaughn because he once played under Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs and is a true student of the game. However, Vaughn hasn’t had the appropriate circumstances to showcase his true talents as a head coach.

He might have some consistency this season with Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson playing important roles which means Vaughn’s ability can be fully analyzed this season. The Brooklyn Nets won’t be respected as a title contender but there is enough talent to push for a playoff appearance and Vaughn could be judged accordingly.

25. Chauncey Billups - Portland Trail Blazers

Chauncey Billups is another former NBA player who has potential as a head coach and he has an exciting roster to work with. With Damian Lillard gone, the Portland Trail Blazers can look toward the future and rebuild around Scoot Henderson, Deandre Ayton, and Anfernee Simons. That is an exciting situation for a coach who would love to get more reps in.

Portland probably won’t be in the playoffs but a spectacular coaching job could sneak them in. The young talent on the team will need to grow together and the presence of a former Finals MVP on the bench will do the players justice when it comes to boosting their production and protecting them if things go wrong.

24. Jamahl Mosley - Orlando Magic

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The Orlando Magic probably don’t have the roster to get out of the lottery but Jamahl Mosley can do a great job by continuing to build around 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. The Magic have a budding All-Star in Banchero who could take that next step as the best player on the team.

Mosley needs to show he can nurture talent because Banchero has the talent, size, and skill set to try to become an All-Star in 2024. The win-loss column won’t look great but it would be unfair to judge Mosley in that regard.

23. Chris Finch - Minnesota Timberwolves

Chris Finch has a big season coming up. The Minnesota Timberwolves have All-Stars Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert which should be enough to make the playoffs. However, the team might have deeper issues around who the man on the side is. No doubt, Edwards is the best player on the team and will play like that this season.

Can Finch find a way to incorporate Towns into this offense or will there be some unsettled players? Whatever the case is, Finch needs to find a way to make things work because Minnesota fans want to see progress or else there will be blame going around evenly by the time the playoffs come around.

22. Mark Daigneault - Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the most exciting cores in the NBA thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Josh Giddey. The Thunder tried to sneak into the playoffs last year but fell short in the end. In 2024, they have a legitimate chance.

If Mark Daigneault can get the three talented youngsters firing on all cylinders and get the team into the playoffs, he will be earning some Coach of the Year votes. But the coach is still young and has a chance to continue his own development along with his players and they will be an interesting story to follow all year.

21. Willie Green - New Orleans Pelicans

Most people in the NBA community love Willie Green because he not only played in the NBA but had a solid character as a player. As a head coach, he has also shown poise and confidence in setting up his rotations and keeping his players competitive. He has one heck of a talented squad to work with, as well.

Zion Williamson’s health will make or break the New Orleans Pelicans season but the presence of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum means there is sufficient coverage as well. It is about time the Pelicans start teaching their potential and if they do, it will be Willie Green that might be the difference in the growth.

20. Will Hardy - Utah Jazz

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The Utah Jazz did admirably well last season considering there was a massive roster change with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert moving teams. The team finished with 37 wins but they actually played very well at the beginning of the season but flamed out towards the end.

Lauri Markkanen became a first-time All-Star with the Jazz and a ton of credit should go to Hardy for boosting the player’s confidence on the court. Hardy has a chance to climb the head coaching rankings if the Jazz improve on the court because his potential is real.

19. Darvin Ham - Los Angeles Lakers

Darvin Ham had a turbulent rookie season as a coach because he had to continue trying to make the Russell Westbrook experiment work and then had a completely different team by the trade deadline. With all the ups and downs, the Los Angeles Lakers still made it to the Western Conference Finals although they were swept by the eventual champions Denver Nuggets.

Ham will be looking to find his best rotations although he might have rested LeBron James at the wrong times on opening night against the Denver Nuggets. James will be heavily restricted in the amount of minutes he plays but Ham needs to find the right balance to not fall into a sub .500 hole that they fell into at some point last season.

18. JB Bickerstaff - Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an exceptionally talented roster although the core of it is very young and immature. Donovan Mitchell is the leader but there are doubts about his future in Cleveland which means Darius Garland and Evan Mobley need to be developed quickly.

Bickerstaff made his true name felt in the league as an interim coach and has proven he knows the game inside and out to be a head coach. Cleveland’s players seem to like him and that’s always good, but Bickerstaff has proven to be a solid mind on both offense and defense. This will be a big year for him and the players as the Cavaliers look to take a step up and not get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

17. Billy Donovan - Chicago Bulls

Billy Donovan had a rough stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder which might have played a role in Kevin Durant leaving, but he has bounced back as a solid coach with the Chicago Bulls. Donovan is certainly more confident on an NBA bench and he will only get better as the years go by.

Donovan has done a decent job with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine by his side and has a strong resume from his coaching days before the NBA. Donovan’s job is not perfectly safe in Chicago, considering how the team has not passed the first round but that is expected in the cutthroat business of the NBA.

16. Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks

Jason Kidd was an incredible player during his prime and he is starting to show what he can do as a coach as well. Being the voice for a team with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is never going to be easy but Kidd seems to be made out of the right stuff in terms of leadership and connections with his players.

However, that doesn’t mean Kidd is untouchable. The Dallas Mavericks finished last season without a play-in appearance a year removed from a Western Conference Finals berth and there won’t be a pass this year if it happens again. Kidd does not mean more to the Mavericks than Doncic so his job will be on the line if the team does not perform quickly to start the year.

15. Joe Mazzulla - Boston Celtics

Joe Mazzulla was often criticized more than he was praised last season which was unfair considering he had to be a rookie coach for a side that made the NBA Finals a year prior. Based on that alone, Mazzulla did an extraordinary job. He took Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year and almost made history as the first two to come back from a 0-3 deficit.

In 2024, expectations are high for Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are in, Tatum is arguably a top-five player in the world, and Brown just signed the largest contract in NBA history. With the right pieces around him and an elite management team, Mazzulla needs to get this team to the Finals.

14. Quin Snyder - Atlanta Hawks

Quin Snyder created his reputation of being a great coach during his time in Utah with the Jazz, helping Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert finish top of the Western Conference. Even if Snyder didn’t win with the Jazz, he proved that he is a player’s coach and knows what it takes to win games.

The Atlanta Hawks have had issues keeping coaches even if Trae Young is balling out of his mind, but hopefully, Snyder can be the one to give the franchise consistency and maximize the potential of the group. Everybody on the team other than Young could and should be expendable as the franchise looks to boost the level of play on the court.

13. Frank Vogel - Phoenix Suns

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The Phoenix Suns moved on from Monty Williams but didn’t miss a step in bringing in a coach who has won it all. Frank Vogel led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 championship and was a critical part of the team’s defensive identity. Hopefully, on the part of the Suns organization, he can preach the same identity to the team.

Phoenix’s offense is absolutely terrifying once Bradley Beal gets healthy because having Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the starting lineup looks like overkill. The depth chart is a bit shaky since the bench is weak, but Vogel might be able to maximize the presence of Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Okogie, and Yuta Watanabe among others, and the Suns gear up for a championship run.

12. Ime Udoka - Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets went from having arguably the 30th-ranked coach in the NBA to one of the very best in a single summer. Ime Udoka doesn’t want to play games and wants to win and will make sure his players understand that. The fact that the Rockets brought in Fred VanVleet and also did not opt to bring back James Harden shows that teamwork and attitude are what the organization is going for.

Udoka is the perfect man for the job because he led the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals and is one of the brightest defensive minds in the game. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr, and Alperen Sengun need to learn how to compete properly and Udoka will be the one to show them how to do it throughout the season.

11. Taylor Jenkins - Memphis Grizzlies

Taylor Jenkins deserves a ton of credit for what he has done in Memphis. First, he has managed to turn the young team into legitimate title contenders with the growth of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Next, he had to hold the fort down with Morant constantly missing time with injuries and also having non-stop drama last season.

It isn’t easy for a coach to have to deal with his best player missing so much game time due to on and off-the-court issues, but Jenkins has not placed a foot wrong so far. The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to be a top-four seed in the Western Conference even with Ja Morant missing 25 games to start the year and Jenkins has a huge part to play in that.

10. Monty Williams - Detroit Pistons

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Monty Williams’ time was always going to be up in Phoenix with the Suns after constant rumors surrounding Deandre Ayton (who is now gone also) and also failed attempts at winning a championship. While Williams is not at fault for most instances, although he should have done better defending Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2021 NBA Finals, he might be in a better situation right now.

Williams won’t have to deal with constant drama and expectations and can simply do what he does best: coach. The Detroit Pistons are extremely immature and have no idea how to win, so Williams can be the one to hold Cade Cunningham’s hand and turn him into an All-Star. It might take longer than we want, but Williams comes to Detroit with a reputation for being an elite coach.

9. Mike Brown - Sacramento Kings

Mike Brown has always been a solid coach, especially on the defensive end, but what he did with the Sacramento Kings last season was truly terrific. There was All-Star talent on the team thanks to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, but Brown certainly made the team a formidable force on offense.

Brown has shifted his image to be a sound defensive mind and forgettable offensive coach thanks to his time spent in Golden State alongside Steve Kerr. The Kings had the number-one offense in the league last year and won 48 games before taking the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. In terms of coaching jobs, it doesn’t get any better than what Brown did.

8. Nick Nurse - Philadelphia 76ers

Nick Nurse is an exceptional coach and the Philadelphia 76ers are very fortunate to have him on the sidelines following the dismissal of Doc Rivers. Nurse won a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and while Kawhi Leonard deserves credit for being an absolute superstar, it was Nurse who got everyone else to buy in for a single season knowing Leonard was a rental.

Nurse is not afraid to use a deep rotation and he has already managed to improve the likes of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Scottie Barnes. While it would be amazing to see Joel Embiid improve any more considering he is the league’s MVP, Tyrese Maxey is next in line to become an All-Star and Nurse needs to be the one to get him there.

7. Tom Thibodeau - New York Knicks

Tom Thibodeau has been known to either rub players the wrong way or elevate their play. Luckily for the New York Knicks franchise, the latter has been true. Thibodeau has managed to turn Julius Randle into a bonafide All-Star while also giving Jalen Brunson the green light to orchestrate the offense. At the same time, the Knicks actually play consistent defense.

It is easy to look past what Thibodeau has done with the Knicks but his voice on the bench has made the team better in every way. His rotations are solid, he preaches defense, and his All-Stars are buying in. The only question is, can Thibodeau do what Erik Spoelstra has done in terms of taking a solid squad and completely over-performing with them? So far, not yet.

6. Tyronn Lue - Los Angeles Clippers

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Tyronn Lue has developed a reputation for being a master in using adjustments in games, dating back to his iconic championship run in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lue has been dealing with difficult circumstances with never-ending injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George yet he has still made the team competitive.

Last season, the Clippers won 44 games despite the injury crisis and pushed the Phoenix Suns to five games in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles needs their players healthy to contend and if they can do it, Lue will be in the mix for Coach of the Year. After all, the Clippers have the talent on the court and on the bench to win it all in the right circumstances.

5. Rick Carlisle - Indiana Pacers

Rick Carlisle has coached some of the most talented players ever in Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, but he has started a new phase in Indiana where he hopes to make Tyrese Haliburton the most impactful point guard in the game. Carlisle’s resume as an elite coach speaks for itself because the man knows how to win games.

He helped take the Indiana Pacers to a 35-47 record in 2023 and as he looks to improve the team in 2024, the key is to add the right players and continue developing his best ones. Carlisle is a sound defensive mind and knows how to win around offensive All-Stars, making him an exceptional two-way coach.

4. Gregg Popovich - San Antonio Spurs

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Gregg Popovich is a legend and many claim him to be the greatest coach ever although he is rivaled by Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach. No matter where you rank Popovich, he is still a top-five coach in the world right now. He hasn’t had the right talent since Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard left and even that includes the short phase with DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge.

But finally, Victor Wembanyama is here to be the franchise’s next superstar. There isn’t a better situation for Wembanyama to be in because Popovich helped David Robinson and Tim Duncan’s careers and built a team around them. He can do the same with the dominant Frenchman and if the Spurs play inspiring basketball, he could be in the mix for Coach of the Year.

3. Michael Malone - Denver Nuggets

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Mike Malone is often criticized for his postgame comments or media behavior for whatever reason, but the man is an elite coach. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are absolute ballers and the rest of the Denver Nuggets roster has talented role players, but Malone got each and every one of them to buy into a shared cause.

Denver was the best team in the NBA last season regardless of the fact that Jokic was the best player in the world. No team defended as consistently as Denver and everyone knew his role. That comes down to elite coaching and it is about time Malone received credit for helping to create a championship side in the Mile High City.

2. Steve Kerr - Golden State Warriors

Steve Kerr is a legendary coach, make no mistake about that. He has had the right pieces with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green among others but nobody got them to click as well as Kerr has. Kerr has revolutionized the NBA in terms of ball movement and spacing and nobody does it better than the Warriors right now.

Having two of the best shooters ever on one team has greatly helped Kerr’s legacy, certainly, but no other coach might have been able to turn two sharpshooters into leaders of a dynasty like he has. Due to Kerr’s offensive scheme based on sharing the ball and also equal defensive tasks, players love to come play in Golden State and that is why they have won four titles since 2015.

1. Erik Spoelstra - Miami Heat

Based on how the Miami Heat have been overperforming in the last few years, Erik Spoelstra deserves to hold the title of the best coach in the NBA. Despite having two All-Stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, nobody expected Miami to make Finals appearances in 2020 and certainly 2023. The Heat lack talent outside of the two stars but somehow, they play well together.

The leader on the bench is Spoelstra and he has years of experience under his belt. Erik once had to coach LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh so he has already been through the highs and lows that come with being a coach of the Miami Heat. Going into next season, we expect Spoelstra to continue doing his magic as he looks to take a solid team and over-perform with them again.

Bantay Pinas