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8.6k voters

The All Time Greatest NBA Coaches

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated August 6, 2020 45.5k votes 8.6k voters 75.8k views76 items

List RulesThe greatest NBA coaches in history

It's no surprise that some of the best NBA players of all time go on to become some of the best NBA coaches ever, and this list of the all-time greatest NBA coaches is testament to that fact. These men helm some of the greatest sports franchises in the sports world and are able to consistently coach the best performances from their players.

What makes somebody the greatest NBA coach ever? That's a pretty subjective question to answer. Are the top NBA coaches the ones in charge of the NBA teams with the best defense? Or the NBA teams with the best offense? Are they the ones who can reign in a team of superstar athletes and get them to play nice together? Are the best NBA coaches the coaches with the best win-loss record? Or are the greatest NBA coaches simply the coaches with the most NBA championship rings?

Who is the best NBA coach of all time? You decide! Some of the NBA's famous basketball coaches on this list have been around longer than others, but the point of this list of the all-time top NBA coaches is to determine which NBA coach had the best run whether they were in charge of a team for 2 years or 20. If you don't see your favorite NBA coach on this list of the all-time best NBA coaches, make sure to add his name so he can vie for the top spot of the best NBA coach ever.

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1
4,080
1,279
Gregg Popovich
Age: 71
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#1 of 13 The Best Spurs Coaches of All Time, Ranked#9 of 24 Best Chicago Bulls Coaches of All Time
2
3,320
1,172
Phil Jackson
Age: 75
More Phil Jackson
#59 of 163 The Smartest Professional Athletes#37 of 90 The Best New York Knicks of All Time
3
1,739
615
Red Auerbach
Dec. at 89 (1917-2006)
4
1,897
703
Pat Riley
Age: 75
More
The Best Pat Riley Quotes#16 of 141 The Greatest Kentucky Basketball Players of All Time
5
949
543
Jerry Sloan
Age: 78
More Jerry Sloan
#12 of 73 The Greatest Chicago Bulls of All Time#85 of 175 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History
6
965
567
Chuck Daly
Dec. at 79 (1930-2009)
7
477
296
Lenny Wilkens
Age: 83
More Lenny Wilkens
#63 of 161 The Best NBA Players With No Championship Rings#56 of 150 The Greatest Point Guards in NBA History
8
401
141
John Wooden
Dec. at 100 (1910-2010)
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#203 of 432 The Most Important Leaders in U.S. History#7 of 45 The Greatest Purdue Basketball Players of All Time
9
717
441
Bill Russell
Age: 86
More Bill Russell
#313 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time#397 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers Of All Time
10
826
563
Larry Brown
Age: 80
11
1,365
955
Steve Kerr
Age: 55
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#26 of 32 The Best NBA Shooting Guards of the 90s#6 of 20 The Best Three-Point Shooters in NBA History
12
440
250
Larry Bird
Age: 64
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#172 of 217 Celebrities Who Should Run for President#125 of 329 The Most Obnoxious Athletes
13
223
94
Jerry West
Age: 82
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#4 of 107 The Greatest Lakers of All Time#5 of 25 The Best NBA Point Guards of the 1970s

14
606
431
Don Nelson
Age: 80
15
730
539
Rick Carlisle
Age: 61
More Rick Carlisle
#89 of 133 The Best Boston Celtics of All Time#6 of 15 The Best Pacers Coaches of All Time, Ranked
16
475
163
Mike Krzyzewski
Age: 73
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#29 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#3 of 100 The Best Current College Basketball Coaches
17
617
408
Erik Spoelstra
Age: 50
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#1 of 6 The Best Miami Heat Coaches of All Time, Ranked#1 of 6 Best Miami Heat Coaches of All Time
18
341
239
K. C. Jones
Age: 88
19
386
305
Rudy Tomjanovich
Age: 72
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#10 of 46 The Greatest Michigan Basketball Players of All Time#102 of 135 The Best Small Forwards of All Time
20
289
51
Brad Stevens
Age: 44
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#13 of 124 The Greatest College Basketball Coaches of All Time#2 of 32 The Best NBA Coaches Right Now
21
874
852
Doc Rivers
Age: 59
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#27 of 27 The Best '90s Point Guards#33 of 126 The Best NBA Buys for the Money
22
233
167
Jack Ramsay
Dec. at 89 (1925-2014)
23
548
526
George Karl
Age: 69

24
368
243
Mike D'Antoni
Age: 69
25
357
311
Jeff Van Gundy
Age: 58