No team has had more head coaches than the Nets have during Mikhail Prokhorov’s time as owner, even though Prokhorov downplayed the coaching turnover in Monday’s press conference that followed the Sunday firing of Lionel Hollins and installation of assistant coach Tony Brown as his interim replacement. Brown is the fifth head coach to have served under Prokhorov, joining Hollins, Jason Kidd, P.J. Carlesimo and Avery Johnson. The owner elected not retain Kiki Vandeweghe when he hired Johnson shortly after formally buying the team in 2010, so in some sense, Prokhorov has had six coaches.
Andy Vasquez of The Record cited six when he asked Prokhorov whether his new coach could be secure in his job, as Brian Fleurantin notes in his full transcription of the press conference for NetsDaily. Prokhorov responded that he only dismissed two coaches, since Kidd left of his own volition in 2014 and Carlesimo was an interim replacement for Johnson. Vandeweghe was also an interim coach, though it was the team’s decision not to retain him, just as it was with Carlesimo.
In any case, only the Kings, Lakers and Pistons have had as many head coaches as the Nets have since the start of 2010/11, Prokhorov’s first full season as owner. That includes interim coaches but not substitute coaches, like Luke Walton of the Warriors and Joe Prunty of the Bucks, since they’re serving because their respective head coaches are ailing, not because their teams decided to make a change.
Here’s a breakdown of every team’s coaching turnover since 2010/11:
Five coaches
- Kings — (Paul Westphal, Keith Smart, Michael Malone, Tyrone Corbin, George Karl)
- Lakers — (Phil Jackson, Mike Brown, Bernie Bickerstaff, Mike D’Antoni, Byron Scott)
- Nets — (Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo, Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, Tony Brown)
- Pistons — (John Kuester, Lawrence Frank, Maurice Cheeks, John Loyer, Stan Van Gundy)
Four coaches
- Bucks — (Scott Skiles, Jim Boylan, Larry Drew, Jason Kidd)
- Hornets — (Larry Brown, Paul Silas, Mike Dunlap, Steve Clifford)
- Magic — (Stan Van Gundy, Jacque Vaughn, James Borrego, Scott Skiles)
- Nuggets — (George Karl, Brian Shaw, Melvin Hunt, Michael Malone)
- Timberwolves — (Kurt Rambis, Rick Adelman, Flip Saunders, Sam Mitchell)
Three coaches
- Cavs — (Mike Brown, Byron Scott, David Blatt)
- Jazz — (Jerry Sloan, Tyrone Corbin, Quin Snyder)
- Knicks — (Mike D’Antoni, Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher)
- Rockets — (Rick Adelman, Kevin McHale, J.B. Bickerstaff)
- Suns — (Alvin Gentry, Lindsey Hunter, Jeff Hornacek)
- Trail Blazers — (Nate McMillan, Kaleb Canales, Terry Stotts)
- Warriors — (Keith Smart, Mark Jackson, Steve Kerr)
Two coaches
- Bulls — (Tom Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg)
- Celtics — (Doc Rivers, Brad Stevens)
- Clippers — (Vinny Del Negro, Doc Rivers)
- Grizzlies — (Lionel Hollins, Dave Joerger)
- Hawks — (Larry Drew, Mike Budenholzer)
- Pacers — (Jim O’Brien, Frank Vogel)
- Pelicans — (Monty Williams, Alvin Gentry)
- Raptors — (Jay Triano, Dwane Casey)
- Sixers — (Doug Collins, Brett Brown)
- Thunder — (Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan)
- Wizards — (Flip Saunders, Randy Wittman)
One coach
- Heat — (Erik Spoelstra)
- Mavericks — (Rick Carlisle)
- Spurs — (Gregg Popovich)
If ever you needed proof that stability helps build winners, here it is.
Look at the teams with 4 and 5 coaching changes in the last 5 years and where those teams are in the standings. The one exception being Detroit, but they now have SVG entrenched as their man for the long haul.
It’s interesting to note that the three one-coach teams have all won titles in that span. That’s the only way to get job security in the NBA.