The Best Houston Rockets Coaches Of All Time

Ranker NBA
Updated July 2, 2022 319 votes 87 voters
Over 80 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Houston Rockets Coaches Of All Time

Who are the best Houston Rockets coaches of all time? In their time as an NBA franchise, the Houston Rockets have gone through many different head coaches, all with different personalities and coaching styles. With that said, who is the best Houston Rockets coach of all time? Which Rockets head coaches do you love?

Rudy Tomjanovich is the only Rockets head coach to win an NBA Finals. Tomjanovich would win it in back-to-back seasons in 1994 and 1995. Tom Nissalke was the first Rockets head coach to win NBA Coach of the Year. Nissalke would win the coveted award in 1977, his first season as coach of the team.

Vote up the best Houston Rockets coaches of all time, and help us decide the best Rockets head coaches ever.

Ranked by
  • Rudy Tomjanovich
    1

    1992–2003    

    Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. (born November 24, 1948) is an American retired basketball player and coach who lead the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He was an All-Star forward for the Rockets during his playing career.
  • Mike D'Antoni
    2

    2016-2020

    Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous season. He coached the New York Knicks starting in 2008 before resigning in 2012. He was hired by the Lakers seven games into the 2012–13 season. On June 1, 2016, D'Antoni was named head coach of the Rockets, and he received his second NBA Coach of the Year award for the 2016–17 season. D'Antoni, who holds American and Italian dual citizenship, is known for favoring a fast-paced, offense-oriented system.
  • Bill Fitch
    3

    Bill Fitch

    21 votes

    1983–1988

    William Charles Fitch (born May 19, 1932) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) coach who had been successful in developing a number of teams into playoff contenders. Before entering the professional ranks, he coached college basketball at the University of Minnesota, Bowling Green State University, the University of North Dakota, and his alma mater, Coe College. Fitch's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament. He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2012–13 NBA season.Fitch was a U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor, a fact that Larry Bird credited in his book Drive: The Story of My Life as an important reason for Bird's own strong work ethic. Bill Fitch was elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
  • Jeff Van Gundy
    4

    2003–2007

    Jeffrey William Van Gundy (born January 19, 1962) is an American basketball coach. He is also a commentator for ESPN. He has previously been the head coach of the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association.
  • Kevin McHale
    5

    Kevin McHale

    18 votes

    2011–2015

    Kevin McHale may refer to: Kevin McHale (footballer) (born 1939), former English professional footballer Kevin McHale (basketball) (born 1957), retired American basketball player and former basketball executive and coach Kevin McHale (actor) (born 1988), American actor and singer
  • Rick Adelman
    6

    Rick Adelman

    19 votes

    2007–2011

    Richard Leonard Adelman (born June 16, 1946) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He served as head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.