Coaching in the NBA is a high-stakes, high-pressure job. The league draws a global audience with each win and loss is heavily scrutinized. Success in the position usually brings accolades and job security while failure can lead to abrupt firing. It’s a job that demands passion, dedication and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence.
In today’s list, we will rank all 30 NBA Head Coaches from 2023 from worst to best. We’ll take a look at how their teams performed last season and note the success or lack thereof at their time at the helm.
30. Steve Clifford – Charlotte Hornets
Clifford has been preaching defense at the sidelines but heavily struggled to adjust in today’s faster-paced game. He’s an old-school coach handling a young run-and-gun roster. Those two usually don’t mix well.
29. Wes Unseld Jr. – Washington Wizards
Unseld Jr. had Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis at his disposal but still failed to make significant strides with the team. With both players gone, Unseld Jr. will have a fresh start heading next season.
28. Chauncey Billups – Portland Trail Blazers
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The verdict is still out there if the former NBA Champion is the right fit for this team. But young players respect Billups and that could be the reason why he’ll stick longer on the sidelines.
27. Darko Rajakovic – Toronto Raptors
The Serbian-born Rajakovic will finally make his debut as a head coach next season for the Raptors. Many people behind the scenes have raved about his potential on the sidelines for the past several years. Will he be Nick Nurse 2.0?
26. Adrian Griffin – Milwaukee Bucks
After serving as an assistant coach for several teams since 2008, Griffin finally got the nod to be a head coach for the Bucks. It will be a challenging job as the team’s superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo has grown uneasy about his upcoming free agency next year.
25. Billy Donovan – Chicago Bulls
Donovan has been struggling to lift the Bulls from mediocrity the last few years even with several NBA All-Stars in the roster. He’s definitely on the hot seat next season if Chicago fails to improve.
24. Jason Kidd – Dallas Mavericks
Kidd’s first year with Dallas was underwhelming. They missed the playoffs despite having Luka Doncic mostly healthy last season. He’s not great with adjustments and rotations, but he’s respected enough by his players due to the past accolades he gathered as a player.
23. Chris Finch – Minnesota Timberwolves
Finch has led Minnesota to back-to-back playoff appearances in the past couple of seasons. The Wolves are rightfully patient with Finch as he’s great with the X’s and O’s on the sidelines.
22. Jack Vaughn – Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn’s surprising playoff run despite trading their superstars last season was an indication that Vaughn is a good fit for this team. Replicating that unexpected success will be hard though.
21. Quin Snyder – Atlanta Hawks
Snyder’s offensive scheme is considered one of the best in the league. However, his teams never had any significant playoff success under his guidance. A mid-season signee, maybe he can have more success with a full training camp with this roster.
20. Jamahl Mosely – Orlando Magic
Mosely has certainly looked like the right man for the job in order to steer this young Magic team into success in the near future. With an emerging Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, expect this team to grab a playoff spot next season.
19. Willie Green – New Orleans Pelicans
Green has done an admirable job with the Pelicans despite the slew of injuries to their stars he had to deal with within the past couple of seasons. With a healthy Zion approaching training camp, maybe Griffin could push this team to another tier.
18. JB Bickerstaff – Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland failed to capitalize on their regular season success last year and bounced out of the postseason in round one. But we can’t deny the improvement of this Cavs team within the last three years with him at the helm.
17. Frank Vogel – Phoenix Suns
There are hefty expectations coming from Vogel and the Suns next season. They have three to four players who thrive in isolation basketball. How he’ll evenly make Booker, Durant and Beal happy with their reduced roles will be a challenge for Vogel and his coaching staff.
16. Monty Williams – Detroit Pistons
Williams is a high-character guy and well-loved by most of the players he had under his wing. After failing in Phoenix, there’s hope that he’s coaching style is best suited for a young team like Detroit.
15. Will Hardy – Utah Jazz
Hardy is only 35 years old but is already gaining momentum as one of the brightest coaches in the league. He truly unlocked Lauri Markkanen’s potential and the Jazz are expected to make some serious noise next season.
14. Ime Udoka – Houston Rockets
Udoka gets a fresh start with the young Rockets after sitting out last season due to off-the-court issues. A former player himself, Udoka has a great basketball mind and many people are excited on Houston’s potential heading into next season.
13. Nick Nurse – Philadelphia 76ers
Nurse is definitely an upgrade over Doc Rivers. If somebody can get this team over the hump and play to its full potential, it’s Nurse. After all, Nurse knows a thing or two about unlocking a player’s full potential.
12. Darvin Ham – Los Angeles Lakers
It’s really hard to judge Ham’s success with the Lakers. GM Rob Pelinka pulled off some miracles in last season’s trade deadline. With a full training camp, there’s optimism that Ham can make this team serious contenders next season.
11. Taylor Jenkins – Memphis Grizzlies
Jenkins knows how to develop young talents under his wing. The team could’ve made a deep run in the playoffs but Ja Morant’s off-court issue really hindered this team’s chemistry. Jenkins is hoping for a great training camp for this team to jell.
10. Mark Daigneault – Oklahoma City Thunder
Just in his third year with Oklahoma City, Daigneault was already a runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year last season. He truly unlocked the potential of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
9. Tyronne Lue – Los Angeles Clippers
Lue’s time with the Clippers has been underwhelming but it’s not entirely his fault. Despite missing his stars due to the infamous load management, he still gathered enough wins to qualify for the playoffs.
8. Tom Thibodeau – New York Knicks
Thibodeau is one of the hardest-working coaches in the league. However, he has a reputation for squeezing the miles on his star players, often playing them a ton on a nightly basis. Nonetheless, he made the Knicks relevant again after their surprising playoff run last season.
7. Joe Mazzulla – Boston Celtics
Mazzulla has done an exceptional job with the Celtics last season despite being thrust to the job because of Udoka’s scandal. There were questionable adjustments in the playoffs but that could be forgiven due to his inexperience at that level.
6. Rick Carlisle – Indiana Pacers
Carlisle has been one of the best coaches in the league for the past couple of decades. Recently, he’s been tasked to lead and instill a winning culture in Indiana. The team made strides in his first year with the team and made Haliburton an All-Star in the process.
5. Mike Brown – Sacramento Kings
Brown’s coaching style drastically evolved from being boring to exciting after his assistant coaching gig with the Warriors. He implemented what he learned under Steve Kerr and applied it to Sacramento last season. He guided the Kings to its first playoff berth since 2006.
4. Steve Kerr – Golden State Warriors
Kerr has drawn flak because he basically inherited this Warriors team after Mark Jackson’s exceptional developmental job with its then-young core. But Kerr has won four titles throughout his Warriors tenure. How he will incorporate Chris Paul in this roster remains to be seen.
3. Gregg Popovich – San Antonio Spurs
It’s such as shame that one of the best coaches ever has been accumulating several losing seasons under his resume in recent years. The team has a plethora of young role players but none of them are potential superstars. But this will definitely change with the arrival of Victor Wembanyama next season.
2. Mike Malone – Denver Nuggets
Kudos to the Nuggets for sticking with Malone despite his early playoff blunders. He finally became a championship coach after guiding Denver to their first NBA championship last season. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s coaching the best player in the league right now.
1. Erik Spoelstra – Miami Heat
Spoelstra and the Miami Heat have been credited as the best organizations when it comes to developing unheralded players. Miami had no business in the NBA Finals last season but Spoelstra made it work despite the odds being stacked against him. He’s a two-time champion and a well-respected figure in the NBA.
