NBA Coach of the Year History
The NBA Coach of the Year Award recognizes the head coach judged to
have had the most outstanding regular season. The award was first
presented following the 1962-63 season.
Harry Gallatin of the St. Louis Hawks was the first
recipient of the award. Since then, the honor has been won by coaches
from nearly every era of NBA history.
The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, named
after the legendary Boston Celtics coach who won nine NBA championships.
NBA Coach of the Year Winners
| Season |
Coach |
Team |
| 2025-26 | Joe Mazzulla | Boston |
| 2024-25 | Kenny Atkinson | Cleveland |
| 2023-24 | Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City |
| 2022-23 | Mike Brown | Sacramento |
| 2021-22 | Monty Williams | Phoenix |
| 2020-21 | Tom Thibodeau | New York |
| 2019-20 | Nick Nurse | Toronto |
| 2018-19 | Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee |
| 2017-18 | Dwane Casey | Toronto |
| 2016-17 | Mike D'Antoni | Houston |
| 2015-16 | Steve Kerr | Golden State |
| 2014-15 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta |
| 2013-14 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio |
| 2012-13 | George Karl | Denver |
| 2011-12 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio |
| 2010-11 | Tom Thibodeau | Chicago |
| 2009-10 | Scott Brooks | Oklahoma City |
| 2008-09 | Mike Brown | Cleveland |
| 2007-08 | Byron Scott | New Orleans |
| 2006-07 | Sam Mitchell | Toronto |
| 2005-06 | Avery Johnson | Dallas |
| 2004-05 | Mike D'Antoni | Phoenix |
| 2003-04 | Hubie Brown | Memphis |
| 2002-03 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio |
| 2001-02 | Rick Carlisle | Detroit |
| 2000-01 | Larry Brown | Philadelphia |
| 1999-00 | Doc Rivers | Orlando |
| 1998-99 | Mike Dunleavy | Portland |
| 1997-98 | Larry Bird | Indiana |
| 1996-97 | Pat Riley | Miami |
| 1995-96 | Phil Jackson | Chicago |
| 1994-95 | Del Harris | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1993-94 | Lenny Wilkens | Atlanta |
| 1992-93 | Pat Riley | New York |
| 1991-92 | Don Nelson | Golden State |
| 1990-91 | Don Chaney | Houston |
| 1989-90 | Pat Riley | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988-89 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Phoenix |
| 1987-88 | Doug Moe | Denver |
| 1986-87 | Mike Schuler | Portland |
| 1985-86 | Mike Fratello | Atlanta |
| 1984-85 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee |
| 1983-84 | Frank Layden | Utah |
| 1982-83 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee |
| 1981-82 | Gene Shue | Washington |
| 1980-81 | Jack McKinney | Indiana |
| 1979-80 | Bill Fitch | Boston |
| 1978-79 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Kansas City |
| 1977-78 | Hubie Brown | Atlanta |
| 1976-77 | Tom Nissalke | Houston |
| 1975-76 | Bill Fitch | Cleveland |
| 1974-75 | Phil Johnson | Kansas City-Omaha |
| 1973-74 | Ray Scott | Detroit |
| 1972-73 | Tom Heinsohn | Boston |
| 1971-72 | Bill Sharman | Los Angeles |
| 1970-71 | Dick Motta | Chicago |
| 1969-70 | Red Holzman | New York |
| 1968-69 | Gene Shue | Baltimore |
| 1967-68 | Richie Guerin | St. Louis |
| 1966-67 | Johnny Kerr | Chicago |
| 1965-66 | Dolph Schayes | Philadelphia |
| 1964-65 | Red Auerbach | Boston |
| 1963-64 | Alex Hannum | San Francisco |
| 1962-63 | Harry Gallatin | St. Louis |
Coach of the Year Facts
-
Harry Gallatin of the St. Louis Hawks became the
first NBA Coach of the Year in 1962-63.
-
Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich each won
the award three times.
-
Don Nelson won with Milwaukee twice and Golden State once.
-
Pat Riley won with three different franchises: the Los Angeles Lakers,
New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
-
Gregg Popovich won all three of his Coach of the Year awards with the
San Antonio Spurs.
-
Mike Brown became the first unanimous Coach of the
Year winner when he won the award with Sacramento in 2022-23.
-
Joe Mazzulla won his first Coach of the Year Award
in 2025-26 after leading Boston to a 56-26 regular-season record.
-
Mazzulla became the fourth Celtics head coach to win the award,
joining Red Auerbach, Tom Heinsohn and Bill Fitch.
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