As we detailed on Wednesday, 2021 has been an eventful year on the NBA’s coaching carousel. After two teams made in-season coaching changes, seven more hired new head coaches since the regular season ended, meaning nearly a third of the league’s 30 teams have replaced their head coaches since in the last six-plus months.
While some teams, such as the Pelicans and Pacers, sought new head coaches less than a year after making their previous hires, a number of the coaches who were replaced this offseason had been with their respective teams for quite a while.
Rick Carlisle (Mavericks), Terry Stotts (Trail Blazers), and Brad Stevens (Celtics) each ranked among the top five longest-tenured coaches in the league up until this spring. They’ve all since been replaced by new faces. Scott Brooks (Wizards) was also one of just nine coaches who had been with his club for at least five years. He’s gone too.
Given the turnover in the head coaching ranks, it’s time we update our list sorting the NBA’s 30 head coaches by when they were hired. Here’s the current breakdown of the league’s longest-tenured head coaches by team:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014- Quin Snyder, Jazz: June 2014
- Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 2015
- James Borrego, Hornets: May 10, 2018
- Mike Budenholzer, Bucks: May 17, 2018
- Dwane Casey, Pistons: June 11, 2018
- Nick Nurse, Raptors: June 14, 2018
- Luke Walton, Kings: April 2019
- Monty Williams, Suns: May 3, 2019
- Note: Williams remained a Sixers assistant through the end of Philadelphia’s playoff run.
- Frank Vogel, Lakers: May 13, 2019
- Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies: June 2019
- J.B. Bickerstaff, Cavaliers: February 2020
- Tom Thibodeau, Knicks: July 2020
- Steve Nash, Nets: September 3, 2020
- Billy Donovan, Bulls: September 22, 2020
- Doc Rivers, Sixers: October 3, 2020
- Tyronn Lue, Clippers: October 20, 2020
- Stephen Silas, Rockets: October 30, 2020
- Mark Daigneault, Thunder: November 2020
- Chris Finch, Timberwolves: February 2021
- Nate McMillan, Hawks: March 2021
- Note: McMillan was an interim head coach until being named the permanent coach on July 8, 2021.
- Rick Carlisle, Pacers: June 24, 2021
- Chauncey Billups, Trail Blazers: June 27, 2021
- Ime Udoka, Celtics: June 28, 2021
- Jason Kidd, Mavericks: June 28, 2021
- Jamahl Mosley, Magic: July 11, 2021
- Wes Unseld Jr., Wizards: July 17, 2021
- Willie Green, Pelicans: July 22, 2021
The head coach turnover in the NBA is ridiculous… only 5 coaches have been around longer than 3 years!
And Tom Thibodeau, with the Knicks since July 2020 (13 months-ish) is in the top half of longest tenured coaches!
Stephen Silas will be very high on the list in a few years.
He might as well put his Houston area home on the Market now, he’s been given the kiss of death (endorsement) from WallyWorld
As I always state when they publish this… there’s a reason the Heat and Spurs will always be at the top of this list… even after Pop retires it will only be a few years before his replacement is #2 behind Spo…. I’ll let you guys figure out why.
They have the best general managers.
Hey, Stan Van Gundy, Mike Brown, and Byron Scott didn’t make it…. The world is in a good place. Typically NBA head coaches face stiff competition.
That Poppovich Mullet though. That has to be fired ASAP.