Phil Jackson is the greatest basketball coach of all time, with 11 championship rings, and Red Auerback with 9 rings. Gregg Popovich, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Chuck Daly, John Kundla, Red Holzman, and Don Nelson. NBA Coaches are also popular figures when it comes to the successful life of NBA players. The best coaches in NBA history are ranked depending on the championship titles they won. Meaning that coaching the NBA team is from the heart, not our words.
Coaching an NBA team requires a coach to have a tough mind, talent, and the ability to predict the game. NBA game needs patience and the ability to understand the game. However, NBA Coaches need to have a strong bond between them and NBA players.
And the question is, who is the greatest basketball coach of all time? To begin with, these top 10 coaches gain the trust of NBA players and respect before leading them. Is Phil Jackson the greatest basketball coach of all time? We listed the top 10 greatest basketball coaches of all time.
10. Don Nelson – 5 Championships
Don Nelson is one of the best NBA Coaches of all time ranked second in the regular seasonal wins in the history of the NBA. In the 12 years of his career, he won 3 times NBA Coaches of the year in 1983, 1985, and 1992. Won top 10 coaches in NBA history and ranked top 15 coaches in NBA history. He began his coaching career in 1976 coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, The New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. With 5 NBA Championship wins, Nelson is well known for his team’s running an uptempo offense thus employing hack a Shaq. He never trained any team in history that qualified for NBA Finals. Regarded as the top 10 coaches in NBA history.
9. Red Holzman, 2 Championships
Red Holzman is ranked as the best coach in NBA history. Was an American professional coach of all time most known for being the head coach of the New York Knicks. He is ranked as top 15 coaches in NBA history and won 2 NBA Championship titles. In 1970, he won NBA Coach of the year and retired wearing number 613. This coach won 3 times as BSN Champion from 1994-1966. In 1996, he was named of the top 10 coaches in NBA history. Red has a career record of 696-603 and also won the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.
8. John Kundla, 5 Championships
John Kundla is the American NBA’s best coach of all time. He won 5 NBA Championships and 4 times NBA All-star Games as head coach from 1951 to 1954. Top 10 coaches in NBA history, with a record of winning BAA and NBA with general points of 423-302. Won the Basketball Hall of Fame title as a coach and college BASKETBALL hall Of fame conducted in 2006. Served as a coach for 12 seasons and won the NBA championship in 1948.
John Kundla– Profile Summary
Full Name: John Albert Kundla
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: July 3, 1916
Place of Birth: Star Junction, Pennsylvania
Coaching Career: 1946-1968
Teams Coached: St. Thomas, Minneapolis Lakers, Minnesota
7. Chuck Daly, 2 Championships
Chuck Daly is the NBA’s best coach of all time. He led Detroit to two NBA titles, known as a well-decorated coach of all time. Chuch won 5 Big Championship titles, 2 NBA champion titles, and 4 times Ivy league title champions. Ranked as the top 10 coach in NBA history and has a coaching record of winning the Basketball Hall of Fame title a coach. Also, Chuck won the FIFA Hall of Fame as a coach and appeared 4 times in NCAA Finals winning 3 times. This coach represented the united states in the Olympic games winning a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992.
Chuck Daly– Profile Summary
Full Name: Charles Jerome Daly
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: July 20, 1930
Place of Birth: Kane, Pennsylvania, US
Coaching Career: 1955-1999
Teams Coached: Punxsutawney HS, Duke, Boston College, Penn, Philadelphia 76eras
6. Larry Brown, 1 Championship
Larry Brown* is the best coach of all time in NBA sports. He is a professional American basketball coach and former player in NBA Sports. This coach is the first coach in history to win both the NCCA National Championship title and the NBA title at the same time. Larry has coached 1275-965 career coaching records. Currently working as an assistant coach at the Memphis Tigers team. Works in the American Athletic Conference league as played as a point guard wearing shirt 11. His coaching career started in 1965 to the present. Larry was selected as the 55th overall round 7 NBA Draft coach. Larry has won almost all titles in the NBA league. In 2006, he won the College Basketball Hall of Fame title. He has represented the united stated in the Olympic games 4 times winning three gold medals and one bronze medal.
Larry Brown– Profile Summary
Full Name: Lawrence Harvey Brown
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: September 14, 1940
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
Listed Weight: 75 kg
Coaching Career: 1965-present
Teams Coached: North Carolina (Assistant), Carolina Cougars, Denver Nuggets, UCLA
5. Lenny Wilkens, 5 Championships
Lenny Wilkens is the best NBA coach of all time. And a professional former NBA player who played point guard. His coaching career started in 1969, he won 4 times NBA All-Star Games as a head coach. Ranked as top 10 coaches in NBA history and won Cleveland Cavaliers Wall of Honor. Lenney was also named among the top 15 coaches in NBA history. In 2006, he won the college basketball Hall of Fame title. He was a head coach four times in 1993 and won 13 times NBA All-Star awards as a player during his era. Represented the United States in Olympic games and won two gold medals as an assistant and head coach as well.
Lenny Wilkens- Profile Summary
Full Name: Leonard Randolph Wilkens
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: October 28, 1937
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
Coaching Career: 1969-2000
Teams Coached: Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks
4. Pat Riley, 5 Championships
Pat Riley is an American professional former NBA player ranked as the best NBA coach of all time. Currently, he is the present of the Miami Heat in the NBA league. Played as a shooting guard during his era wearing shirts 42 and 12. Pat has coached three teams which include; Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. As a head coach, he won 9 times NBA All-Star Games, 5 NBA Championship titles, and 3 times NBA Coach of the year award. He was also in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Coach with an incredibly decorated coaching career in history. He was ranked top 10 coaches in NBA history, in 1980 as an assistant coach he won NBA Champion.
Pat Riley- Profile Summary
Full Name: Patrick James Riley
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: March 20, 1945
Place of Birth: Rome, New York
Coaching Career: 1979-2008
Teams Coached: Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat
3. Gregg Popovich, 5 Championships
Gregg Popovich* is currently a head coach and president of the San Antonio Spurs. He is ranked as top 10 NBA coaches of all time representing the United States in the Olympic games four times winning two Gold medals and one bronze. As a head coach, he won 5 NBA Champions, 3 times NBA Coach of the year, and 4 times NBA All-Star games. Also coached Air Force Male team nicknamed Coach Pop, the winningest coach in NBA history. Popovich had a coaching career of 22 years leading the Spurs to win 22 times in 22 seasons. Started a coaching career in 1973 to the present, and he was also regarded as the longest-active coach in NBA sports. As a player, he was playing as a guard and led the Spurs to all five of their NBA titles.
Gregg Popovich- Profile Summary
Full Name: Gregg Charles Popovich
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: January 28, 1949
Place of Birth: East Chicago, Indiana, U.S.
Listed Height: 1.91 meters
Coaching Career: 1973-present
Teams Coached: Air Force, Pomona-Pitzer, Kansas, San Antonio Spurs, Golden States Warriors
2. Red Auerback, 9 Championships
Red Auerback started his coaching career in 1940 and acted as a head coach of Washington Capitols, Tri-Cities, and Blackhawks. He won 938 wins and nine championships. As a head coach, he won 9 NBA Championship titles, NBA Coach of the year, and 11 NBA All-Star Game head coaches. Ranked as top 10 coaches in NBA history, winning the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. As an executive coach, he won 7 NBA Champions and NBA Executive of the year in 1980. With a career coaching experience of 938-479. Arguably was one of the most successful coaches of his era.
1. Phil Jackson, 11 Championships
Phil Jackson is the greatest basketball coach of all time in NBA history who has won the Basketball Hall Of Fame a coach. He won 11 NBA Champions, and 4 NBA All-Star Games as head coach, and was also named top 15 coaches in NBA history. Started his coaching career in 1978, and played as a power forward during his era in NBA. He won 12 seasons in NBA history and was selected in round 2 in the 17th overall NBA draft in 1967. Jackson is the most triumphant coach of all time in the past of basketball. As a head coach, he lead the lakers to win the title of combined player and coach title. Jason led the Bulls to 6 NBA championships between 1989 to 1998 when he was a head coach.
Who has more rings as a coach? List of top 25 NBA coaches with most rings
| Rank | Coach | NBA Championship rings |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Phil Jackson | 11 |
| 2. | Red Auerbach | 9 |
| 3. | John Kundla | 5 |
| 4. | Gregg Popovich | 5 |
| 5. | Pat Riley | 5 |
| 6. | Steve Kerr | 3 |
| 7. | Chuck Daly | 2 |
| 8. | Alex Hannum | 2 |
| 9. | Tom Heinsohn | 2 |
| 10. | Red Holzman | 2 |
| 11. | K.C. Jones | 2 |
| 12. | Bill Russell | 2 |
| 13. | Erik Spoelstra | 2 |
| 14. | Rudy Tomjanovich | 2 |
| 15. | Paul Westhead | 2 |
| 16. | David Blatt | 1 |
| 17. | Larry Brown | 1 |
| 18. | Rick Carlisle | 1 |
| 19. | Billy Cunningham | 1 |
| 20. | Bill Fitch | 1 |
| 21. | Tyronn Lue | 1 |
| 22. | Jack McKinney | 1 |
| 23. | Nick Nurse | 1 |
| 24. | Doc Rivers | 1 |
| 25. | Stan Van Gundy | 1 |
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