List of NBA head coaches with 500 games coached

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a major professional basketball league in North America. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).^[1] The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL).^[2] The league consists of 30 teams, of which 29 are located in the United States and one in Canada.

Gregg Popovich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. Popovich leads the NBA for the most regular season game wins.

In the NBA, a head coach is the highest ranking coach of a coaching staff. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than the assistant coaches. Lenny Wilkens has coached the most regular season games. He has coached 2,487 games with six teams in 32 seasons. Gregg Popovich has won the most regular season games with 1,390. Don Nelson, Bill Fitch, Jerry Sloan and Larry Brown are the only other coaches who have coached more than 2,000 regular season games. 33 other head coaches have coached more than 1,000 regular season games. Three of those coaches, Popovich, Al Attles and Erik Spoelstra, have spent their entire coaching career with one team. Popovich has coached 2,214 regular season games with the San Antonio Spurs in his 29-year career, Attles has coached 1,075 regular season games with the Warriors franchise in his 14-year career, and Spoelstra has coached 1,359 regular season games with the Miami Heat in his 17-year career.

As of May 2, 2025, Popovich has the most regular season games coached (2,214) with one team, during his 29-year career with the San Antonio Spurs. He also has the record of most game wins when combining regular season and postseason games with 1,560 wins. Larry Brown has coached 9 different teams, the highest number of teams coached among the head coaches.^[3]

Former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson won 11 NBA championships, the most in NBA history. He is the only coach who has won multiple championships with multiple teams. He won six titles with the Bulls and five titles with the Lakers. He also leads the NBA for the most postseason games coached and the most postseason wins. Red Auerbach won nine championships with the Boston Celtics. He won his first title in 1957 before winning eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. John Kundla, Pat Riley and Popovich have each won five championships. Popovich won all of his titles coaching the Spurs as Kundla won all of his titles with the Lakers, while Riley won four titles with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. Nelson, Popovich and Riley each won the Coach of the Year Award three times, while Fitch, Hubie Brown, Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer, Mike D'Antoni, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Gene Shue and Tom Thibodeau have each won it twice. 22 NBA head coaches (Rick Adelman, Red Auerbach, Larry Brown, Chuck Daly, Billy Donovan, Bill Fitch, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Alex Hannum, Tom Heinsohn, Red Holzman, Phil Jackson, George Karl, John Kundla, Don Nelson, Gregg Popovich, Jack Ramsay, Pat Riley, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Jerry Sloan, Rudy Tomjanovich and Lenny Wilkens) have earned induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.^[4][5] Auerbach, Daly, Fitch, Holzman, Jackson, Kundla, Nelson, Ramsay, Riley and Wilkens were named in the list of Top 10 Coaches in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.^[6] Larry Brown, Popovich, Sloan, Spoelstra, K. C. Jones, Steve Kerr, and Doc Rivers joined Auerbach, Daly, Holzman, Jackson, Nelson, Ramsay, Riley and Wilkens on the updated list of 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History, announced during the league's 75th anniversary in 2021.^[7]

This list includes all head coaches who have coached at least 500 games in the NBA or BAA. The list does not include games in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for head coaches who coached in the ABA prior to the ABA–NBA merger.

Key

Yrs	Number of years coached
GC	Games coached
W	Wins
L	Losses
Win%	Winning percentage
^	Denotes coach who is currently coaching an NBA team
*	Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach
*	Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor
*^	Active NBA coach who has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

List

Note: Statistics accurate as of the end of the 2024–25 NBA season.

Coach	Team(s) coached (years)[a]	Yrs	GC	W	L	Win%	GC	W	L	Win%	Championships won[b]	Coach of the Year award(s) won[a]	Ref.
			Regular season				Playoffs
Rick Adelman*	• Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1994)  • Golden State Warriors (1996–1997)  • Sacramento Kings (1998–2006)  • Houston Rockets (2007–2011)  • Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–2014)	23	1,791	1,042	749	.582	157	79	78	.503	None	None	[8]
Stan Albeck	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–1980)  • San Antonio Spurs (1980–1983)  • New Jersey Nets (1983–1985)  • Chicago Bulls (1985–1986)	7	574	307	267	.535	44	18	26	.409	None	None	[9]
Al Attles*	• San Francisco / Golden State Warriors (1970–1982)	14	1,075	557	518	.518	61	31	30	.508	1 (1975)	None	[10]
Red Auerbach*	• Washington Capitols (1946–1949)  • Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949–1950)  • Boston Celtics (1950–1966)	20	1,417	938	479	.662	168	99	69	.589	9 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)	1 (1965)	[11]
Bernie Bickerstaff	• Seattle SuperSonics (1985–1990)  • Denver Nuggets (1995–1996)  • Washington Bullets / Wizards (1997–1999)  • Charlotte Bobcats (2004–2007)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2012)	14	937	419	518	.447	33	12	21	.364	None	None	[12]
J. B. Bickerstaff^	• Houston Rockets (2015–2016)  • Memphis Grizzlies (2017–2019)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (2020–2024)  • Detroit Pistons (2024–present)	9	627	299	328	.477	28	9	19	.321	None	None	[13]
Scott Brooks	• Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2015)  • Washington Wizards (2016–2021)	12	935	521	414	.557	97	49	48	.505	None	1 (2010)	[14]
Brett Brown	• Philadelphia 76ers (2013–2020)	7	565	221	344	.391	26	12	14	.462	None	None	[15]
Hubie Brown*	• Atlanta Hawks (1976–1981)  • New York Knicks (1982–1987)  • Memphis Grizzlies (2002–2004)	13	919	424	495	.461	38	14	24	.368	None	2 (1978, 2004)	[16]
Larry Brown*	• Denver Nuggets (1976–1979)  • New Jersey Nets (1981–1983)  • San Antonio Spurs (1988–1992)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1992–1993)  • Indiana Pacers (1993–1997)  • Philadelphia 76ers (1997–2003)  • Detroit Pistons (2003–2005)  • New York Knicks (2005–2006)  • Charlotte Bobcats (2008–2010)	26	2,002	1,098	904	.548	193	100	93	.518	1 (2004)	1 (2001)	[17]
Mike Brown^	• Cleveland Cavaliers (2005–2010, 2013–2014)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2011–2012)  • Sacramento Kings (2022–2024)  • New York Knicks (2025–present)	11	758	454	304	.599	90	50	40	.556	None	2 (2009, 2023)	[18]
Mike Budenholzer	• Atlanta Hawks (2013–2018)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2018–2023)  • Phoenix Suns (2024–2025)	11	883	520	363	.589	104	56	48	.538	1 (2021)	2 (2015, 2019)	[19]
P. J. Carlesimo	• Portland Trail Blazers (1994–1997)  • Golden State Warriors (1997–1999)  • Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–2008)  • Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)	9	554	239	315	.431	19	6	13	.316	None	None	[20]
Rick Carlisle^	• Detroit Pistons (2001–2003)  • Indiana Pacers (2003–2007, 2021–present)  • Dallas Mavericks (2008–2021)	23	1,853	993	860	.536	173	86	87	.497	1 (2011)	1 (2002)	[21]
Dwane Casey	• Minnesota Timberwolves (2005–2007)  • Toronto Raptors (2011–2018)  • Detroit Pistons (2018–2023)	14	1,064	494	570	.464	55	21	34	.382	None	1 (2018)	[22]
Al Cervi	• Syracuse Nationals (1949–1956)  • Philadelphia Warriors (1958–1959)	9	567	326	241	.575	59	33	26	.559	1 (1955)	None	[23]
Don Chaney	• Los Angeles Clippers (1985–1987)  • Houston Rockets (1988–1992)  • Detroit Pistons (1993–1995)  • New York Knicks (2001–2004)	12	831	337	494	.406	11	2	9	.182	None	1 (1991)	[24]
Maurice Cheeks	• Portland Trail Blazers (2001–2004)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2005–2008)  • Detroit Pistons (2013–2014)	9	620	305	315	.492	16	5	11	.313	None	None	[25]
Steve Clifford	• Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2013–2018, 2022–2024)  • Orlando Magic (2018–2021)	10	801	340	461	.424	21	5	16	.238	None	None	[26]
Doug Collins*	• Chicago Bulls (1986–1989)  • Detroit Pistons (1995–1998)  • Washington Wizards (2001–2003)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2010–2013)	11	849	442	407	.521	56	23	33	.411	None	None	[27]
Larry Costello*	• Milwaukee Bucks (1968–1976)  • Chicago Bulls (1978–1979)	10	730	430	300	.589	60	37	23	.617	1 (1971)	None	[28]
Billy Cunningham	• Philadelphia 76ers (1977–1985)	8	650	454	196	.698	105	66	39	.629	1 (1983)	None	[29]
Mike D'Antoni	• Denver Nuggets (1998–1999)  • Phoenix Suns (2003–2008)  • New York Knicks (2008–2012)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2014)  • Houston Rockets (2016–2020)	16	1,199	672	527	.560	110	54	56	.491	None	2 (2005, 2017)	[30]
Chuck Daly*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1981–1982)  • Detroit Pistons (1983–1992)  • New Jersey Nets (1992–1994)  • Orlando Magic (1997–1999)	14	1,075	638	437	.593	126	75	51	.595	2 (1989, 1990)	None	[31]
Billy Donovan^*	• Oklahoma City Thunder (2015–2020)  • Chicago Bulls (2020–present)	10	800	438	362	.548	46	19	27	.413	None	None	[32]
Mike Dunleavy	• Los Angeles Lakers (1990–1992)  • Milwaukee Bucks (1992–1996)  • Portland Trail Blazers (1997–2001)  • Los Angeles Clippers (2003–2010)	17	1,329	613	716	.461	71	38	33	.535	None	1 (1999)	[33]
Bill Fitch*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1970–1979)  • Boston Celtics (1979–1983)  • Houston Rockets (1983–1988)  • New Jersey Nets (1989–1992)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1994–1998)	25	2,050	944	1,106	.460	109	55	54	.505	1 (1981)	2 (1976, 1980)	[34]
Cotton Fitzsimmons*	• Phoenix Suns (1970–1972, 1988–1992, 1996)  • Atlanta Hawks (1972–1976)  • Buffalo Braves (1977–1978)  • Kansas City Kings (1978–1984)  • San Antonio Spurs (1984–1986)	21	1,607	832	775	.518	84	35	49	.417	None	2 (1979, 1989)	[35]
Chris Ford	• Boston Celtics (1990–1995)  • Milwaukee Bucks (1996–1998)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1998–2000)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2004)	10	699	323	376	.462	29	13	16	.448	None	None	[36]
Lawrence Frank	• New Jersey Nets (2004–2009)  • Detroit Pistons (2011–2013)	9	614	279	335	.454	38	18	20	.474	None	None	[37]
Mike Fratello	• Atlanta Hawks (1981, 1983–1990)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (1993–1999)  • Memphis Grizzlies (2004–2006)	17	1,215	667	548	.549	62	20	42	.323	None	1 (1986)	[38]
Alvin Gentry	• Miami Heat (1995)  • Detroit Pistons (1998–2000)  • Los Angeles Clippers (2000–2003)  • Phoenix Suns (2009–2013)  • New Orleans Pelicans (2015–2020)  • Sacramento Kings (2021–2022)	18	1,170	534	636	.456	30	17	13	.567	None	None	[39]
Edward Gottlieb*	• Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1955)	9	581	263	318	.453	32	15	17	.469	1 (1947)	None	[40]
Richie Guerin	• St. Louis / Atlanta Hawks (1964–1972)	8	618	327	291	.529	60	26	34	.433	None	1 (1968)	[41]
Matt Guokas	• Philadelphia 76ers (1985–1988)  • Orlando Magic (1989–1993)	7	535	230	305	.430	17	8	9	.471	None	None	[42]
Alex Hannum*	• St. Louis Hawks (1957–1958)  • Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers (1960–1963, 1966–1968)  • San Francisco Warriors (1963–1966)  • San Diego Rockets (1969–1971)	12	883	471	412	.533	79	45	34	.570	2 (1958, 1967)	1 (1964)	[43]
Del Harris*	• Houston Rockets (1979–1983)  • Milwaukee Bucks (1987–1991)  • Los Angeles Lakers (1994–1999)	14	1,013	556	457	.549	88	38	50	.432	None	1 (1995)	[44]
Tom Heinsohn*	• Boston Celtics (1969–1978)	9	690	427	263	.619	80	47	33	.588	2 (1974, 1976)	1 (1973)	[45]
Bob Hill	• New York Knicks (1986–1987)  • Indiana Pacers (1990–1993)  • San Antonio Spurs (1994–1996)  • Seattle SuperSonics (2006–2007)	9	603	310	293	.514	37	17	20	.459	None	None	[46]
Brian Hill	• Orlando Magic (1993–1997, 2005–2007)  • Vancouver Grizzlies (1997–1999)	9	613	298	315	.486	40	18	22	.450	None	None	[47]
Lionel Hollins	• Vancouver / Memphis Grizzlies (1999–2000, 2004, 2009–2013)  • Brooklyn Nets (2014–2016)	9	534	262	272	.491	41	20	21	.488	None	None	[48]
Red Holzman*	• Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1957)  • New York Knicks (1967–1977, 1978–1982)	18	1,300	696	604	.535	105	58	47	.552	2 (1970, 1973)	1 (1970)	[49]
Phil Jackson*	• Chicago Bulls (1989–1998)  • Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2004, 2005–2011)	20	1,640	1,155	485	.704	333	229	104	.688	11 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)	1 (1996)	[50]
Phil Johnson	• Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City / Sacramento Kings (1973–1978, 1984–1987)  • Chicago Bulls (1982)	9	543	236	307	.435	9	2	7	.222	None	1 (1975)	[51]
K. C. Jones	• Capital / Washington Bullets (1973–1976)  • Boston Celtics (1983–1988)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1990–1992)	10	774	522	252	.674	138	81	57	.587	2 (1984, 1986)	None	[52]
Eddie Jordan	• Sacramento Kings (1997–1998)  • Washington Wizards (2003–2008)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2009–2010)	9	600	257	343	.428	26	8	18	.308	None	None	[53]
George Karl*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1984–1986)  • Golden State Warriors (1986–1988)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1992–1998)  • Milwaukee Bucks (1998–2003)  • Denver Nuggets (2005–2013)  • Sacramento Kings (2015–2016)	27	1,999	1,175	824	.588	185	80	105	.432	None	1 (2013)	[54]
Steve Kerr^	• Golden State Warriors (2014–present)	11	875	567	308	.648	152	104	48	.684	4 (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)	1 (2016)	[55]
Jason Kidd^	• Brooklyn Nets (2013–2014)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2014–2018)  • Dallas Mavericks (2021–present)	9	701	362	339	.516	64	31	33	.484	None	None	[56]
John Kundla*	• Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1958, 1958–1959)	11	725	423	302	.583	95	60	35	.632	5 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)	None	[57]
Joe Lapchick	• New York Knicks (1947–1956)	9	573	326	247	.569	60	30	30	.500	None	None	[58]
Frank Layden	• Utah Jazz (1981–1988)	8	571	277	294	.485	41	18	23	.439	None	1 (1984)	[59]
Kevin Loughery	• Philadelphia 76ers (1973)  • New York / New Jersey Nets (1976–1980)  • Atlanta Hawks (1981–1983)  • Chicago Bulls (1983–1985)  • Washington Bullets (1986–1988)  • Miami Heat (1991–1995)	17	1,136	474	662	.417	27	6	21	.222	None	None	[60]
Tyronn Lue^	• Cleveland Cavaliers (2016–2018)  • Los Angeles Clippers (2020–present)	9	611	362	249	.592	98	57	41	.582	1 (2016)	None	[61]
Jim Lynam	• San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers (1983–1985)  • Philadelphia 76ers (1988–1992)  • Washington Bullets (1994–1997)	10	720	328	392	.456	21	8	13	.381	None	None	[62]
John MacLeod	• Phoenix Suns (1973–1987)  • Dallas Mavericks (1987–1989)  • New York Knicks (1990–1991)	18	1,364	707	657	.518	101	47	54	.465	None	None	[63]
Michael Malone	• Sacramento Kings (2013–2014)  • Denver Nuggets (2015–2025)	12	904	510	394	.564	80	44	36	.550	1 (2023)	None	[64]
Jack McMahon	• Chicago Zephyrs (1962)  • Cincinnati Royals (1963–1967)  • San Diego Rockets (1967–1969)	8	549	260	289	.474	29	10	19	.345	None	None	[65]
Nate McMillan	• Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2005)  • Portland Trail Blazers (2005–2012)  • Indiana Pacers (2016–2020)  • Atlanta Hawks (2021–2023)	19	1,428	760	668	.532	76	28	48	.368	None	None	[66]
Doug Moe	• San Antonio Spurs (1976–1980)  • Denver Nuggets (1980–1990)  • Philadelphia 76ers (1992–1993)	15	1,157	628	529	.543	83	33	50	.398	None	1 (1988)	[67]
Dick Motta	• Chicago Bulls (1968–1976)  • Washington Bullets (1976–1980)  • Dallas Mavericks (1980–1987, 1994–1996)  • Sacramento Kings (1990–1991)  • Denver Nuggets (1996–1997)	25	1,952	935	1,017	.479	126	56	70	.444	1 (1978)	1 (1971)	[68]
Don Nelson*	• Milwaukee Bucks (1976–1987)  • Golden State Warriors (1988–1995, 2006–2010)  • New York Knicks (1995–1996)  • Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005)	31	2,398	1,335	1,063	.557	166	75	91	.452	None	3 (1983, 1985, 1992)	[69]
Tom Nissalke	• Seattle SuperSonics (1972–1973)  • Houston Rockets (1976–1979)  • Utah Jazz (1979–1981)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (1982–1984)	9	639	248	391	.388	14	6	8	.429	None	1 (1977)	[70]
Nick Nurse^	• Toronto Raptors (2018–2023)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2023–present)	7	554	298	256	.538	47	27	20	.574	1 (2019)	1 (2020)	[71]
Jim O'Brien	• Boston Celtics (2001–2004)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2004–2005)  • Indiana Pacers (2007–2011)	9	630	303	327	.481	31	14	17	.452	None	None	[72]
Gregg Popovich*	• San Antonio Spurs (1996–2025)	29	2,214	1,390	824	.628	284	170	114	.599	5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)	3 (2003, 2012, 2014)	[73]
Jack Ramsay*	• Philadelphia 76ers (1969–1972)  • Buffalo Braves (1973–1976)  • Portland Trail Blazers (1977–1986)  • Indiana Pacers (1986–1988)	21	1,647	864	783	.525	102	44	58	.431	1 (1977)	None	[74]
Pat Riley*	• Los Angeles Lakers (1981–1990)  • New York Knicks (1991–1995)  • Miami Heat (1995–2003, 2005–2008)	24	1,904	1,210	694	.636	282	171	111	.606	5 (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006)	3 (1990, 1993, 1997)	[75]
Doc Rivers^	• Orlando Magic (1999–2003)  • Boston Celtics (2004–2013)  • Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2020)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2023)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2024–present)	26	1,978	1,162	816	.587	226	114	112	.504	1 (2008)	1 (2000)	[76]
Bill Russell*	• Boston Celtics (1966–1969)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1973–1977)  • Sacramento Kings (1987–1988)	8	631	341	290	.540	61	34	27	.557	2 (1968, 1969)	None	[77]
Flip Saunders	• Minnesota Timberwolves (1995–2005, 2014–2015)  • Detroit Pistons (2005–2008)  • Washington Wizards (2009–2012)	17	1,246	654	592	.525	98	47	51	.480	None	None	[78]
Fred Schaus	• Los Angeles Lakers (1960–1967)	7	560	315	245	.563	71	33	38	.465	None	None	[79]
Byron Scott	• New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)  • New Orleans Hornets (2004–2009)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (2010–2013)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2016)	15	1,101	454	647	.412	57	33	24	.579	None	1 (2008)	[80]
Paul Seymour	• Syracuse Nationals (1956–1960)  • St. Louis Hawks (1960–1961)  • Baltimore Bullets (1965–1966)  • Detroit Pistons (1968–1969)	8	512	271	241	.529	35	14	21	.400	None	None	[81]
Bill Sharman*	• San Francisco Warriors (1966–1968)  • Los Angeles Lakers (1971–1976)	7	573	333	240	.581	62	35	27	.565	1 (1972)	1 (1972)	[82]
Gene Shue	• Baltimore / Washington Bullets (1966–1973, 1980–1986)  • Philadelphia 76ers (1973–1977)  • San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers (1978–1979, 1987–1989)	22	1,645	784	861	.477	77	30	47	.390	None	2 (1969, 1982)	[83]
Paul Silas	• San Diego Clippers (1980–1983)  • Charlotte Hornets / Bobcats (1999–2002, 2010–2012)  • New Orleans Hornets (2002–2003)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2005)	12	875	387	488	.442	29	13	16	.448	None	None	[84]
Scott Skiles	• Phoenix Suns (1999–2002)  • Chicago Bulls (2003–2007)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2013)  • Orlando Magic (2015–2016)	14	958	478	480	.499	42	18	24	.429	None	None	[85]
Jerry Sloan*	• Chicago Bulls (1979–1982)  • Utah Jazz (1988–2011)	26	2,024	1,221	803	.603	202	98	104	.485	None	None	[86]
Quin Snyder^	• Utah Jazz (2014–2022)  • Atlanta Hawks (2023–present)	11	821	458	363	.558	57	23	34	.404	None	None	[87]
Erik Spoelstra^	• Miami Heat (2008–present)	17	1,359	787	572	.579	193	110	83	.570	2 (2012, 2013)	None	[88]
Brad Stevens	• Boston Celtics (2013–2021)	8	636	354	282	.557	78	38	40	.487	None	None	[89]
Terry Stotts	• Atlanta Hawks (2002–2004)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2005–2007)  • Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2021)	13	1,003	517	486	.515	67	23	44	.343	None	None	[90]
Tom Thibodeau	• Chicago Bulls (2010–2015)  • Minnesota Timberwolves (2016–2019)  • New York Knicks (2020–2025)	13	998	578	420	.579	103	48	55	.466	None	2 (2011, 2021)	[91]
Rudy Tomjanovich*	• Houston Rockets (1992–2003)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2005)	13	943	527	416	.559	90	51	39	.567	2 (1994, 1995)	None	[92]
Wes Unseld	• Washington Bullets (1988–1994)	7	547	202	345	.369	5	2	3	.400	None	None	[93]
Butch van Breda Kolff	• Los Angeles Lakers (1967–1969)  • Detroit Pistons (1969–1971)  • Phoenix Suns (1972)  • New Orleans Jazz (1974–1976)	9	519	266	253	.513	33	21	12	.636	None	None	[94]
Jeff Van Gundy	• New York Knicks (1996–2001)  • Houston Rockets (2003–2007)	11	748	430	318	.575	88	44	44	.500	None	None	[95]
Stan Van Gundy	• Miami Heat (2003–2005)  • Orlando Magic (2007–2012)  • Detroit Pistons (2014–2018)  • New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)	13	979	554	425	.566	91	48	43	.527	None	None	[96]
Frank Vogel	• Indiana Pacers (2011–2016)  • Orlando Magic (2016–2018)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2022)  • Phoenix Suns (2023–2024)	12	902	480	422	.532	92	49	43	.533	1 (2020)	None	[97]
Bob Weiss	• San Antonio Spurs (1986–1988)  • Atlanta Hawks (1990–1993)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1993–1994)  • Seattle SuperSonics (2005–2006)	7	522	223	299	.427	11	2	9	.182	None	None	[98]
Paul Westphal	• Phoenix Suns (1992–1996)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1998–2000)  • Sacramento Kings (2009–2011)	10	597	318	279	.533	49	27	22	.551	None	None	[99]
Lenny Wilkens*	• Seattle SuperSonics (1969–1972, 1977–1985)  • Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1976)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1993)  • Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000)  • Toronto Raptors (2000–2003)  • New York Knicks (2004–2005)	32	2,487	1,332	1,155	.536	178	80	98	.449	1 (1979)	1 (1994)	[100]
Monty Williams	• New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2010–2015)  • Phoenix Suns (2019–2023)  • Detroit Pistons (2023–2024)	10	785	381	404	.485	56	29	27	.518	None	1 (2022)	[101]
Randy Wittman	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1999–2001)  • Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2008)  • Washington Wizards (2012–2016)	10	684	278	406	.406	21	12	9	.571	None	None	[102]
Mike Woodson	• Atlanta Hawks (2004–2010)  • New York Knicks (2012–2014)	9	680	315	365	.463	46	18	28	.391	None	None	[103]

Playoff series

Below is a list of the most playoff series by a coach (minimum 20 or more playoff series). Phil Jackson, who appeared in 20 playoffs, coached the most series with 65 and won the most with 56; he also owns the highest win percentage at 86.2%. Gregg Popovich and George Karl made the most playoff appearances at 22. Karl has the most losses, having lost a series in each of his 22 appearances without winning a championship. Jerry Sloan coached and won the most playoff series without winning a championship, with 20 wins in 40 series. Jack Ramsay owns the lowest win percentage at 31.8%. Note that the playoff format has expanded over time. Results from the NBA play-in tournament are not counted.

Note: Statistics accurate thru the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Phil Jackson has won more playoff series and coached more playoff series than any other coach. He also owns the highest series win percentage.

Yrs	Number of years coached
SC	Series Coached
SW	Series Wins
SL	Series Losses
Win%	Winning percentage
App.	Playoff Appearances
^	Denotes coach who is currently coaching an NBA team
*	Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach
*^	Active NBA coach who has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Coach	Team(s) coached	SC	SW	SL	Win%	App.	Championships
Phil Jackson*	• Chicago Bulls (1989–1998)  • Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2004, 2005–2011)	65	56	9	0.862	20	11
Pat Riley*	• Los Angeles Lakers (1981–1990)  • New York Knicks (1991–1995)  • Miami Heat (1995–2003, 2005–2008)	56	40	16	0.714	21	5
Gregg Popovich*	• San Antonio Spurs (1996–2025)	54	37	17	0.685	22	5
Jerry Sloan*	• Chicago Bulls (1979–1982)  • Utah Jazz (1988–2011)	40	20	20	0.500	20	0
Doc Rivers^	• Orlando Magic (1999–2003)  • Boston Celtics (2004–2013)  • Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2020)  • Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2023)  • Milwaukee Bucks (2024–present)	37	17	20	0.459	21	1
Larry Brown*	• Denver Nuggets (1976–1979)  • New Jersey Nets (1981–1983)  • San Antonio Spurs (1988–1992)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1992–1993)  • Indiana Pacers (1993–1997)  • Philadelphia 76ers (1997–2003)  • Detroit Pistons (2003–2005)  • New York Knicks (2005–2006)  • Charlotte Bobcats (2008–2010)	36	19	17	0.528	18	1
Lenny Wilkens*	• Seattle SuperSonics (1969–1972, 1977–1985)  • Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1976)  • Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1993)  • Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000)  • Toronto Raptors (2000–2003)  • New York Knicks (2004–2005)	36	17	19	0.472	20	1
Erik Spoelstra^	• Miami Heat (2008–present)	35	23	12	0.657	14	2
George Karl*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1984–1986)  • Golden State Warriors (1986–1988)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1992–1998)  • Milwaukee Bucks (1998–2003)  • Denver Nuggets (2005–2013)  • Sacramento Kings (2015–2016)	35	13	22	0.371	22	0
Red Auerbach*	• Washington Capitols (1946–1949)  • Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949–1950)  • Boston Celtics (1950–1966)	34	24	10	0.706	19	9
Don Nelson*	• Milwaukee Bucks (1976–1987)  • Golden State Warriors (1988–1995, 2006–2010)  • New York Knicks (1995–1996)  • Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005)	33	15	18	0.455	18	0
Rick Carlisle^	• Detroit Pistons (2001–2003)  • Indiana Pacers (2003–2007, 2021–present)  • Dallas Mavericks (2008–2021)	31	16	15	0.516	16	1
Rick Adelman*	• Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1994)  • Golden State Warriors (1996–1997)  • Sacramento Kings (1998–2006)  • Houston Rockets (2007–2011)  • Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–2014)	30	14	16	0.467	16	0
Steve Kerr^	• Golden State Warriors (2014–present)	28	24	4	0.857	8	4
K. C. Jones	• Capital / Washington Bullets (1973–1976)  • Boston Celtics (1983–1988)  • Seattle SuperSonics (1990–1992)	26	18	8	0.692	10	2
Chuck Daly*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1981–1982)  • Detroit Pistons (1983–1992)  • New Jersey Nets (1992–1994)  • Orlando Magic (1997–1999)	26	16	10	0.615	12	2
John Kundla*	• Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1958, 1958–1959)	25	20	5	0.833	10	5
Dick Motta	• Chicago Bulls (1968–1976)  • Washington Bullets (1976–1980)  • Dallas Mavericks (1980–1987, 1994–1996)  • Sacramento Kings (1990–1991)  • Denver Nuggets (1996–1997)	24	11	13	0.458	14	1
Bill Fitch*	• Cleveland Cavaliers (1970–1979)  • Boston Celtics (1979–1983)  • Houston Rockets (1983–1988)  • New Jersey Nets (1989–1992)  • Los Angeles Clippers (1994–1998)	23	11	12	0.478	13	1
Billy Cunningham	• Philadelphia 76ers (1977–1985)	22	15	7	0.682	8	1
Jack Ramsay*	• Philadelphia 76ers (1969–1972)  • Buffalo Braves (1973–1976)  • Portland Trail Blazers (1977–1986)  • Indiana Pacers (1986–1988)	22	7	15	0.318	16	1
John MacLeod	• Phoenix Suns (1973–1987)  • Dallas Mavericks (1987–1989)  • New York Knicks (1990–1991)	21	10	11	0.476	11	0
Red Holzman*	• Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1957)  • New York Knicks (1967–1977, 1978–1982)	20	12	8	0.600	10	2
Mike D'Antoni	• Denver Nuggets (1998–1999)  • Phoenix Suns (2003–2008)  • New York Knicks (2008–2012)  • Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2014)  • Houston Rockets (2016–2020)	20	10	10	0.500	10	0

Notes

• ^a Each year is linked to an article about that particular BAA/NBA season.
• ^b Each year is linked to an article about the BAA/NBA Finals in that year.