NBA Awards: Coach of the Year, Summary of Winners
This is the complete list of NBA coaches that won the Coach of the Year Award, grouped by coach.
Coach with the Most Awards:
Don Nelson / Gregg Popovich / Pat Riley
3 times Coach of the Year NBA Awards: Coach of the YearThe best coach of the season is selected by a national panel of pro basketball writers and broadcasters. Since 1967 the trophy is called "Red Auerbach Trophy", named that way in honor to the former Boston Celtics coach who led the his team to 9 NBA titles. Pat Riley, Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich won the Coach of the Year 3 times each. The really strange fact about this award is that Phil Jackson won it just once despite having led some of the best teams the NBA has ever seen to a total of 11 Championships. |
NBA Awards: All-time list of coaches who won the Coach of the Year award.
Awards | Coach |
Team
Season
Team / Season
|
3 | Don Nelson |
Golden State Warriors
|
3 | Gregg Popovich | |
3 | Pat Riley |
Miami Heat
New York Knicks
Los Angeles Lakers
|
2 | Mike Brown |
Sacramento Kings
Cleveland Cavaliers
|
2 | Hubie Brown |
Memphis Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks
|
2 | Mike Budenholzer |
Milwaukee Bucks
Atlanta Hawks
|
2 | Mike D'Antoni |
Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
|
2 | Bill Fitch |
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
|
2 | Cotton Fitzsimmons |
Phoenix Suns
Kansas City Kings
|
2 | Gene Shue |
Washington Bullets
Baltimore Bullets
|
2 | Tom Thibodeau |
New York Knicks
Chicago Bulls
|
Awards | Coach |
Team
Season
Team / Season
|
1 | Red Auerbach |
Boston Celtics
|
1 | Larry Bird |
Indiana Pacers
|
1 | Scott Brooks |
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
1 | Larry Brown |
Philadelphia 76ers
|
1 | Rick Carlisle |
Detroit Pistons
|
1 | Dwane Casey |
Toronto Raptors
|
1 | Don Chaney |
Houston Rockets
|
1 | Mark Daigneault |
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
1 | Mike Dunleavy |
Portland Trail Blazers
|
1 | Mike Fratello |
Atlanta Hawks
|
1 | Harry Gallatin |
St. Louis Hawks
|
1 | Richie Guerin |
St. Louis Hawks
|
1 | Alex Hannum |
San Francisco Warriors
|
1 | Del Harris |
Los Angeles Lakers
|
1 | Tom Heinsohn |
Boston Celtics
|
1 | Red Holzman |
New York Knicks
|
1 | Phil Jackson |
Chicago Bulls
|
1 | Phil Johnson |
Kansas City-Omaha Kings
|
1 | Avery Johnson |
Dallas Mavericks
|
1 | George Karl |
Denver Nuggets
|
1 | Steve Kerr |
Golden State Warriors
|
1 | Red Kerr |
Chicago Bulls
|
1 | Frank Layden |
Utah Jazz
|
1 | Jack McKinney |
Indiana Pacers
|
1 | Sam Mitchell |
Toronto Raptors
|
1 | Doug Moe |
Denver Nuggets
|
1 | Dick Motta |
Chicago Bulls
|
1 | Tom Nissalke |
Houston Rockets
|
1 | Nick Nurse |
Toronto Raptors
|
1 | Doc Rivers |
Orlando Magic
|
1 | Dolph Schayes |
Philadelphia 76ers
|
1 | Mike Schuler |
Portland Trail Blazers
|
1 | Ray Scott |
Detroit Pistons
|
1 | Byron Scott |
New Orleans Hornets
|
1 | Bill Sharman |
Los Angeles Lakers
|
1 | Lenny Wilkens |
Atlanta Hawks
|
1 | Monty Williams |
Phoenix Suns
|