NBA · 6 hours ago

Ranking the Top 15 Coaches in the NBA Right Now

Harrison Montavon

Host · Writer

Who's in Your Top 15?
There is no perfect way to rank NBA coaches. People value different things when evaluating coaching, and there are so many factors to consider. Talent matters, situations matter, and even the best coach in the league can only do so much with the roster he is given.

What separates the coaches on this list is their ability to consistently get the most out of their teams, whether that means developing young players, adjusting in the playoffs, or managing a locker room full of stars. Plenty of great coaches are in the league, but heading into this season, these 15 have done the most to earn their place near the top.

Did I "snub" anyone from your top 15? Which coach is too high on my list? Anyone too low? Which rising coach can crack the top 15 by next season, or maybe sooner?

Let us know in the comments!
NBA Top 15 Coaches Right Now
Coaching in the NBA has never been more difficult. Between managing superstar personalities, constantly changing rosters, and adapting to new trends and styles of play, the best coaches have to bring much more to the table than drawing up plays.

Some coaches separate themselves with their Xs and Os, while others build winning cultures that can last for decades. The truly transcendent ones can do both. Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, these are the 15 coaches I believe stand above the rest.
15. JJ Redick
Redick entered the NBA coaching world as one of the biggest question marks in the league, going directly from the broadcast booth and the podcast studio to the Lakers sideline with zero previous coaching experience outside of his son’s 2nd-grade team.

JJ Redick NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Los Angeles Lakers
- Career Record: 103-61
- Record With Lakers: 103-61
- Last Season Record: 53-29
- Last Season Finish: 1st in Pacific | Lost Western Conference Semifinals
Two seasons later, it is hard to argue with the regular season results. Redick has won at least 50 games in each of his first two seasons, including 53 wins and a Pacific Division title last year. But more telling than his regular-season win total is the way Redick has made the most of rosters that don't fit. Following the Lakers' trade for Luka Doncic, the team was left with virtually zero center depth, three ball-dominant non-defensive stars, and a lack-luster supporting cast. Despite this Frankenstein roster of thrown-together parts, Redick did a good job of formulating a switch-heavy scheme that was somewhat effective at keeping opposing offenses out of the paint. The Lakers posted a middle-of-the-pack defensive rating that season despite a glaring lack of defensive personnel. In the 2025-26 season, the roster did not fit much better. Despite this, Redick was able to get LeBron James to thrive in a more off-ball role, had Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic playing off each other beautifully, and the role players were bought in defensively. It tends to be forgotten that Redick had this team as high as the 3-seed in a stacked Western Conference before the injuries to Reaves and Doncic. Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Lakers finally have a roster that makes sense on the court and fits Redick’s style. It will be interesting to see how the young coach continues to grow with Los Angeles’s improved roster construction.
14. Will Hardy
Hardy is probably the hardest coach on this list to judge because while his record looks terrible on paper, Utah has also spent most of his tenure in a full rebuild. But when you turn on the tape, it's clear to see Utah has someone special on their sideline.

Will Hardy NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Utah Jazz
- Career Record: 107-221
- Record With Jazz: 107-221
- Last Season Record: 22-60
- Last Season Finish: 5th in Northwest | Missed Playoffs
The Jazz have won just 107 games in Hardy’s four seasons, but the organization has continued to show confidence in him, extending his contract through 2031 before last season. Hardy’s strengths are much easier to see in player development and offensive creativity than in the standings. Utah played at the third-fastest pace in the NBA last season and still averaged 117.6 points per game despite winning only 22 games. Hardy has been tasked with developing a constantly evolving group of young players rather than coaching a roster built to win now. Despite this, Hardy has gotten the most out of not only his young players but also project players who seemed like lost causes to other franchises. Forward Lauri Markkanen looked to be a lottery-pick bust after his years with Chicago and Cleveland. With Hardy, Markkanen became a hyper-efficient off-ball weapon coveted by every contending team in the league, even earning an All-Star selection. A similar story goes for players like Collin Sexton, Kris Dunn, and Jordan Clarkson. Three players who were seen as draft busts and as losing players on other teams came to Utah and became winning role players whom playoff teams coveted for their rotations. At some point, the wins have to come, but I think Hardy has shown enough as a basketball mind and developer to deserve a spot on this list.
13. David Adelman
Adelman has only been an NBA head coach for a little over a season, but he has already shown why Denver trusted him to take over a championship-caliber roster three games before the 2025 playoffs started.

David Adelman NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Denver Nuggets
- Career Record: 57-28
- Record With Nuggets: 57-28
- Last Season Record: 54-28
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Northwest | Lost Western Conference First Round
Adelman was thrown into one of the toughest situations in the league when Denver fired Michael Malone days before the 2025 playoffs, when the team was on a late-season skid. He went 3-0 to close the regular season, then beat the Clippers in seven games to advance to the second round. While he had only been coaching for a few weeks at this point, Adleman showed coaching savvy you would usually see out of a veteran. Despite facing the eventual champion OKC Thunder with MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Adleman and his Nuggets put up a real fight. The Nuggets deployed creative zone schemes, extreme gap help, and an aggressive SGA-focused game plan in hopes of slowing him down. To an extent, it worked, taking the Thunder to 7 games. In 2026, his first full season, Adelman led Denver to 54 wins and the league's best offensive rating at 122.6. It is easy to look at a team with Nikola Jokic and assume the offense will take care of itself. Still, Adelman deserves credit for how well he has kept that unit running, especially as the roster has changed around its superstar. Adelman did a strong job of getting the most out of the Jokic-Jamal Murray two-man game, letting the two stars play off each other freely. The biggest concern is on the other end of the floor. The Nuggets finished just 21st in defensive rating and were knocked out by Minnesota in the first round last season. That playoff performance in 2026 and some questionable game-managing issues keep Adelman outside my top ten for now. Still, his creativity and the way Denver responded to him in a difficult situation make me think he could climb this list very quickly, as long as the Nuggets organization stays patient with him.
12. Nick Nurse
There may not be a coach in the league more willing to experiment than Nick Nurse, and he pairs his mad scientist approach with masterful game planning.

Nick Nurse NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Philadelphia 76ers
- Career Record: 343-293
- Record With 76ers: 116-130
- Last Season Record: 45-37
- Last Season Finish: 4th in Atlantic | Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals
Nurse won a championship in his first season as an NBA head coach with Toronto and followed it up by winning Coach of the Year the next season. Despite the Raptors losing an all-time great player in Kawhi Leonard and a strong defensive anchor in Marc Gasol following their championship run in 2019, Nurse didn't let that affect him. Nurse continued to scheme up top-notch defensive gameplans, coaching the Raptors to the second-highest defensive rating in the league in 2020. His greatest strength has always been his willingness to throw unconventional looks at opponents, whether that means switching defenses, using zones, or completely changing how his team guards a star from one game to the next. Nurse single-handedly formulated a scheme shutting down superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals, setting a trend for how every team would guard him in the future. Now in Philadelphia, Nurse and the 76ers bounced back from a disastrous 24-win season two years ago to win 45 games last year and knock Boston out of the first round. The Sixers were eventually swept by the Knicks, and Nurse’s time in Philadelphia has been inconsistent overall. However, his championship resume and defensive mastery still make him one of the better coaches in basketball. It will be fascinating to watch how far Nurse can take his new star-laden squad in the 2026-27 season, and if he’s still got the chops to scheme up a great defense despite his new team lacking defensive effort.
11. Tyronn Lue
Lue's regular-season results have been inconsistent in recent years, but there are still very few coaches I would rather have making adjustments in a playoff series.

Tyronn Lue NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Los Angeles Clippers
- Career Record: 404-289
- Record With Clippers: 276-206
- Last Season Record: 42-40
- Last Season Finish: 3rd in Pacific | Missed Playoffs
Lue will always have the 2016 championship on his resume, when Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. While he obviously had the privilege of coaching possibly the best player ever to set foot on a basketball court in LeBron James, Lue still deserves some credit. The Cavaliers won that series by playing an offense that has come to define the 2020s. The style is not complex or advanced; it is actually very simple: hunting. In the 2016 Finals, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving turned around the series by having one goal in mind on each possession: attack Golden State’s weakest defender. Throughout the series, they continuously hunted the smaller Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ slower-footed bigs by bringing them up to the screen and forcing a switch. The Warriors defense had been elite all season, but this didn't matter once Lue had LeBron repeatedly attacking their weak spots. This style came to shape the last decade of basketball, as teams have realized their defenses are only as good as their weakest link. We have seen a revelation in the NBA: smaller scoring guards who aren't offensive superstars are being phased out; slow bigs who can't guard in space have been mostly left out of playoff rotations, and every team that's looking to contend needs strong perimeter defenders or a great defensive scheme. Since his days in Cleveland, Lue has continued to build a reputation as one of the league's best adjustment coaches, constantly changing lineups, coverages and matchups depending on what a series demands. His 57-41 career playoff record is another reason his reputation remains strong. Last season was disappointing, as the Clippers finished just 42-40 and missed the playoffs. His most recent stretch with the struggling Clippers has been rough, but still, when a playoff series becomes a chess match, Lue remains one of the coaches I trust most, and his impact on modern basketball is undeniable.
10. Charles Lee
While the Hornets have struggled for most of their existence, hiring Charles Lee as head coach in 2024 has been a bright spot in the last couple of years. At just 41, Lee is an up-and-coming offensive guru.

Charles Lee NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Charlotte Hornets
- Career Record: 63-101
- Record With Hornets: 63-101
- Last Season Record: 44-38
- Last Season Finish: 3rd in Southeast | Missed Playoffs
In the second half of the 2026 season, the Hornets were a top-three offense in the league, with the big three of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller having the best offensive rating of any three-man group. Lee played to his personnel’s strengths beautifully, using guard-to-guard screening actions, off-ball movement, and a green light for his stars, constantly weaponizing his roster's elite shooting. While the defense struggled, the elite offensive system led the Hornets to their most successful season in several years.

Lee will certainly have to adjust his philosophy after losing their engine in LaMelo Ball. We're not concerned, as Lee has shown enough coaching brilliance to say the Hornets' offense will find a way to stay elite.
9. Ime Udoka
Ime Udoka has turned every team he has coached into a tougher and more disciplined version of itself.

Ime Udoka NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Houston Rockets
- Career Record: 196-132
- Record With Rockets: 145-101
- Last Season Record: 52-30
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Southwest | Lost First Round
In his lone season in Boston, Udoka took the Celtics to the NBA Finals. Since arriving in Houston, he has helped turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a consistent 50-win-level contender, winning 52 games in each of the last two seasons. The Rockets have built their identity on physical defense, rebounding, and making opponents uncomfortable, all things that match Udoka’s personality as a coach.

The biggest criticism is that Houston has not translated its regular season success into a deep playoff run, losing in the first round in back-to-back years. However, It's tough to say either of these was truly on Udoka. The lack of talent in his first year in Houston and the injuries in year two severely limited what the Rockets' offense could do. Even so, the jump Houston has made under Udoka is hard to ignore. If playoff success catches up with the regular-season results, he could quickly move even higher on this list.
8. Chris Finch
Chris Finch has helped turn the Timberwolves from a talented but inconsistent team into a legitimate Western Conference contender.

Chris Finch NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
- Career Record: 258-193
- Record With Timberwolves: 258-193
- Last Season Record: 49-33
- Last Season Finish: 3rd in Northwest | Lost Western Conference Semifinals
Minnesota made back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, and even after falling in the second round last season, they remained one of the toughest teams in the West. Finch deserves credit for building a system that has stayed effective even as the roster around his stars has changed. His teams have consistently defended at a high level, and he has shown the flexibility to adjust the offense around different personnel.

It will be interesting to see how Finch utilizes newly acquired star LaMelo Ball. Ball has a drastically different style of play than Minnesota's veteran guards in previous years. This will be another challenge for Finch: can he adapt to another roster change and turn the volatile Ball into a consistent, winning player? Finch may not get the same attention as some championship coaches, but his ability to keep Minnesota in contention while continuing to scheme up elite playoff defenses makes him one of the league’s best.
7. Steve Kerr
While Steve Kerr may not be the most innovative or tactical coach at this point in his career, he was selected to lead the USA Olympic team in the summer of 2024 for a reason.

Steve Kerr NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Golden State Warriors
- Career Record: 604-353
- Record With Warriors: 604-353
- Last Season Record: 37-45
- Last Season Finish: 4th in Pacific | Missed Playoffs
Fairly or unfairly, the verdict is still out on whether Kerr can win without hyper-talented rosters. However, he has certainly made the most of the superstars he’s been privileged to coach, winning four championships in his career. Kerr’s best trait is handling those high-level players and gaining their respect.

His experience playing for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s with Michael Jordan certainly helped him develop this trait. The ability to handle superstar egos while getting them to gel on the court is rare and exactly what made him a perfect coach for Team USA. Even with a roster featuring all the league's superstars, they respected Kerr and rallied behind him, a great example of the kind of locker-room leader he is.
6. Joe Mazzulla
Joe Mazzulla took over for Ime Udoka in 2022 after the team reached the finals, with very little experience. In just his second season as an NBA head coach, he helped lead Boston to its 18th championship, building a highly efficient five-out offense that helped the Celtics get over the hump.

Joe Mazzulla NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Boston Celtics
- Career Record: 238-90
- Record With Celtics: 238-90
- Last Season Record: 56-26
- Last Season Finish: 1st in Atlantic | Lost First Round
While the five-out style of play was extremely effective when the Celtics had likely the most talented roster in the NBA in 2024, it backfired on Boston last season. The high variance this heavy three-point shooting scheme brings has proven lethal with the right personnel, yet it has been inconsistent. Mazzulla has reached the mountaintop, but it’s yet to be seen whether his offensive style can translate to the playoffs with less stacked rosters.

He certainly has a basketball mind perfectly suited to the modern age, but he hasn't been willing to change his heavy analytical approach when things go south in the playoffs. Despite that, Mazzulla has done a great job keeping the Celtics consistently in the contender category since taking over for Udoka. Last regular season was an impressive display of coaching, as he led the Celtics to a 56-win season despite their superstar forward, Jayson Tatum, being sidelined all year.
5. Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson has quickly turned Cleveland from a good young team into one of the most complete teams in the Eastern Conference.

Kenny Atkinson NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
- Career Record: 234-238
- Record With Cavaliers: 116-48
- Last Season Record: 52-30
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Central | Lost Eastern Conference Finals
Atkinson’s impact was obvious immediately. The Cavaliers won 64 games in his first season and followed it up with 52 wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. His offense gives Cleveland’s guards freedom to attack while still keeping the ball moving and getting everyone involved. His time as an assistant under Steve Kerr in Golden State also shows in the Cavaliers’ spacing and willingness to move without the ball.

Cleveland was swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, so Atkinson still has to prove he can get this group over the top. Still, turning the Cavaliers into a team that expects to contend every year and helping them improve on both ends of the floor earns him a spot on this list.
4. Mike Brown
The Knicks' dominant championship run wasn’t just built on great play on the court; it was also a masterclass in Coach Mike Brown's Xs and Os.

Mike Brown NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: New York Knicks
- Career Record: 507-333
- Record With Knicks: 53-29
- Last Season Record: 53-29
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Atlantic | NBA Champions
Mike Brown built an elite offense in Sacramento in 2023, and he did the same with the Knicks. By adjusting to use Karl-Anthony Towns more as a top-of-the-key playmaking hub in the playoffs, New York unlocked its full offensive potential. This late-season switch-up in play style would seem desperate in many cases, but for the Knicks, it was exactly what was needed to get the best out of Towns’ skill set while making everyone else’s job on the floor easier.

Brown also turned a team seen as bad on defense in the regular season into one of the league's best defenses in the playoffs by addressing key schematic issues and getting his stars to buy in on that end.
3. Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle knows how to win. In every era and in every stage of his career, he has found ways to succeed.

Rick Carlisle NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Indiana Pacers
- Career Record: 1,012-923
- Record With Pacers: 357-381
- Last Season Record: 19-63
- Last Season Finish: 5th in Central | Missed Playoffs
Carlisle’s longevity sets him apart from most coaches in the league: he surpassed 1,000 career wins last season, becoming just the 11th coach in NBA history to reach that mark. Even more impressive is that he has won in completely different eras, from playing on the legendary 1986 Boston Celtics to coaching in the slower half-court style of the early 2000s to the fast-paced, movement-heavy offense of today. His ability to constantly reinvent his teams is a major reason he has remained one of the NBA’s best coaches for more than two decades.

The Pacers' run to the NBA Finals in 2025 was a beautiful sight for every basketball purist. The high-tempo, spaced-out, ball-movement-oriented style Carlisle orchestrated works to perfection in the modern era of playoff basketball. The championship-winning coach (with Dallas) has shown he can fully adapt to new NBA trends, despite his advanced age. With the Pacers being healthy again for the first time since their Finals berth, don’t be surprised if Carlisle has this team right back in contention.
2. Mark Daigneault
The Thunder’s 2025 championship squad was special. Their defense, in particular, was one of the greatest of the modern era.

Mark Daigneault NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
- Career Record: 275-207
- Record With Thunder: 275-207
- Last Season Record: 64-18
- Last Season Finish: 1st in Northwest | Lost Western Conference Finals
While the personnel certainly helps, Mark Daigneault knows how to play into his team's strengths. The heavy switching scheme shut down opposing offenses and some of the league’s premier stars. This included locking down reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in Game 7 of the second round. Daigneault deployed a seemingly crazy strategy of using guard Alex Caruso as the big man’s primary defender. The ability to adjust to matchups and the fearlessness to deploy new strategies are what make Daigneault a great coach and perfect for the young and talented OKC Thunder.

What makes Daigneault even more impressive is how quickly he turned the Thunder from a rebuilding team into the league’s model franchise. In 2024, he became NBA Coach of the Year after leading the youngest team in league history to earn a No. 1 seed in its conference. The Thunder followed that up with a franchise-record 68 wins and an NBA championship in 2025, then won another 64 games the following season. OKC has now finished first in the Western Conference in three straight seasons, showing that Daigneault’s success is much more than the result of one great playoff run.
1. Erik Spoelstra
Some coaches are great basketball minds, and others are great culture builders. Erik Spoelstra is both.

Erik Spoelstra NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Miami Heat
- Career Record: 830-611
- Record With Heat: 830-611
- Last Season Record: 43-39
- Last Season Finish: 4th in Southeast | Missed Playoffs
Spoelstra had big shoes to fill after Pat Riley passed him the torch as the Heat’s next head coach in 2008, after they had won a championship just two years prior. The Heat didn’t skip a beat with Spoelstra at the helm, making six NBA Finals appearances since then and winning two championships. Spo’s ability to continue the winning culture Riley started has been crucial, as Miami has been extremely consistent, making the playoffs in 14 of his 18 seasons there. Even after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Heat made a Finals appearance in the 2020s with a roster widely considered less talented than other contenders.

Spoelstra knows how to lead a team and out-scheme just about any other coach in the league come playoff time, as he ranks fifth all-time in postseason wins by a head coach. This offseason, the Heat retooled with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Spo will look to move even higher on that leaderboard.
Who's in Your Top 15?
There is no perfect way to rank NBA coaches. People value different things when evaluating coaching, and there are so many factors to consider. Talent matters, situations matter, and even the best coach in the league can only do so much with the roster he is given.

What separates the coaches on this list is their ability to consistently get the most out of their teams, whether that means developing young players, adjusting in the playoffs, or managing a locker room full of stars. Plenty of great coaches are in the league, but heading into this season, these 15 have done the most to earn their place near the top.

Did I "snub" anyone from your top 15? Which coach is too high on my list? Anyone too low? Which rising coach can crack the top 15 by next season, or maybe sooner?

Let us know in the comments!
NBA Top 15 Coaches Right Now
Coaching in the NBA has never been more difficult. Between managing superstar personalities, constantly changing rosters, and adapting to new trends and styles of play, the best coaches have to bring much more to the table than drawing up plays.

Some coaches separate themselves with their Xs and Os, while others build winning cultures that can last for decades. The truly transcendent ones can do both. Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, these are the 15 coaches I believe stand above the rest.

Ranking the Top 15 Coaches in the NBA Right Now

JJ Redick NBA Coaching Profile

Will Hardy NBA Coaching Profile

David Adelman NBA Coaching Profile

Nick Nurse NBA Coaching Profile

Tyronn Lue NBA Coaching Profile

Charles Lee NBA Coaching Profile

Ime Udoka NBA Coaching Profile

Chris Finch NBA Coaching Profile

Steve Kerr NBA Coaching Profile

Joe Mazzulla NBA Coaching Profile

Kenny Atkinson NBA Coaching Profile

Mike Brown NBA Coaching Profile

Rick Carlisle NBA Coaching Profile

Mark Daigneault NBA Coaching Profile

Erik Spoelstra NBA Coaching Profile

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