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93-94 NBA Coach of the Year

The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season.

The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships from 1956 to 1966. The winner is selected at the end of the regular season by a panel of sportswriters from the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points; and each third-place vote is worth one point. The person with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 40 different coaches. The most recent award winner is current Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who is also the first coach to receive this honor in both the NBA and the NBA G League, having received the G League award in 2011. Gregg PopovichDon Nelson, and Pat Riley have each won the award three times, while Hubie Brown, Mike Brown, Mike BudenholzerMike D'AntoniBill FitchCotton Fitzsimmons, Gene Shue, and Tom Thibodeau have each won it twice. No coach has won consecutive Coach of the Year awards. Riley is the only coach to be named Coach of the Year with three franchises. Larry Bird is the only recipient to have also been named MVP as a player. Tom HeinsohnBill Sharman, and Lenny Wilkens are the only recipients to have been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both player and coach. Johnny Kerr is the only person to win the award with a losing record (33–48 with the Chicago Bulls in 1966–67). Kerr was honored because he had guided the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs in their first season in the league. Doc Rivers is the only person to win the award despite his team not making the playoffs (41–41 with the Orlando Magic in 1999–2000). Only five recipients also coached the team that won the championship the same season: Auerbach, Red Holzman, Sharman, Phil Jackson, and Popovich. Popovich is the only NBA Coach of the Year recipient to win the championship in the same season twice, winning the NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003 and 2014. 2020 winner and former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is the only coach to receive this honor in both the NBA and the NBA G League, having received the G League Award in 2011.

2015–16 recipient Steve Kerr only coached 39 of the 82 games in the season due to complications from offseason back surgery, though he received credit for all of the Golden State Warriors' 73 wins that season. Assistant coach Luke Walton served as interim head head coach for the other 43 games for the Warriors, receiving one second-place vote and two third-place votes. Kerr asked the league to award Walton with the wins accumulated during Kerr's medical recovery time, but the NBA refused to do so because under league rules interim head coaches do not have win-loss records at all. Mike Brown became the first unanimous Coach of the Year recipient in NBA history in the 2022–23 season.

Winners[]

Season Coach Nationality Team W–L Win%
1962–63 Harry Gallatin Flag of the United States United States St. Louis Hawks 48–32 .600
1963–64 Alex Hannum Flag of the United States United States San Francisco Warriors 48–32 .600
1964–65 Red Auerbach Flag of the United States United States Boston Celtics 62–18 .775
1965–66 Dolph Schayes Flag of the United States United States Philadelphia 76ers 55–25 .688
1966–67 Johnny Kerr Flag of the United States United States Chicago Bulls 33–48 .407
1967–68 Richie Guerin Flag of the United States United States St. Louis Hawks (2) 56–26 .683
1968–69 Gene Shue Flag of the United States United States Baltimore Bullets 57–25 .695
1969–70 Red Holzman Flag of the United States United States New York Knicks 60–22 .732
197071 Dick Motta Flag of the United States United States Chicago Bulls (2) 51–31 .622
1971–72 Bill Sharman Flag of the United States United States Los Angeles Lakers 69–13 .841
1972–73 Tom Heinsohn Flag of the United States United States Boston Celtics (2) 68–14 .829
1973–74 Ray Scott Flag of the United States United States Detroit Pistons 52–30 .634
1974–75 Phil Johnson Flag of the United States United States Kansas City–Omaha Kings 44–38 .537
1975–76 Bill Fitch Flag of the United States United States Cleveland Cavaliers 49–33 .598
1976–77 Tom Nissalke Flag of the United States United States Houston Rockets 49–33 .598
1977–78 Hubie Brown Flag of the United States United States Atlanta Hawks (3) 41–41 .500
1978–79 Cotton Fitzsimmons Flag of the United States United States Kansas City Kings (2) 48–34 .585
1979–80 Bill Fitch (2) Flag of the United States United States Boston Celtics (3) 61–21 .744
198081 Jack McKinney Flag of the United States United States Indiana Pacers 44–38 .537
1981–82 Gene Shue (2) Flag of the United States United States Washington Bullets (2) 43–39 .524
1982–83 Don Nelson Flag of the United States United States Milwaukee Bucks 51–31 .622
1983–84 Frank Layden Flag of the United States United States Utah Jazz 45–37 .549
1984–85 Don Nelson (2) Flag of the United States United States Milwaukee Bucks (2) 59–23 .720
1985–86 Mike Fratello Flag of the United States United States Atlanta Hawks (4) 50–32 .610
1986–87 Mike Schuler Flag of the United States United States Portland Trail Blazers 49–33 .598
1987–88 Doug Moe Flag of the United States United States Denver Nuggets 54–28 .659
1988–89 Cotton Fitzsimmons (2) Flag of the United States United States Phoenix Suns 55–27 .671
1989–90 Pat Riley Flag of the United States United States Los Angeles Lakers (2) 63–19 .768
1990–91 Don Chaney Flag of the United States United States Houston Rockets (2) 52–30 .634
1991–92 Don Nelson (3) Flag of the United States United States Golden State Warriors (2) 55–27 .671
1992–93 Pat Riley (2) Flag of the United States United States New York Knicks (2) 60–22 .732
1993–94 Lenny Wilkens Flag of the United States United States Atlanta Hawks (5) 57–25 .695
1994–95 Del Harris Flag of the United States United States Los Angeles Lakers (3) 48–34 .585
1995–96 Phil Jackson Flag of the United States United States Chicago Bulls (3) 72–10 .878
1996–97 Pat Riley (3) Flag of the United States United States Miami Heat 61–21 .744
1997–98 Larry Bird Flag of the United States United States Indiana Pacers (2) 58–24 .707
1998–99 Mike Dunleavy Flag of the United States United States Portland Trail Blazers (2) 35–15 .700
1999–00 Doc Rivers Flag of the United States United States Orlando Magic 41–41 .500
2000–01 Larry Brown Flag of the United States United States Philadelphia 76ers (2) 56–26 .683
2001–02 Rick Carlisle Flag of the United States United States Detroit Pistons (2) 50–32 .610
2002–03 Gregg Popovich Flag of the United States United States San Antonio Spurs 60–22 .732
2003–04 Hubie Brown (2) Flag of the United States United States Memphis Grizzlies 50–32 .610
2004–05 Mike D'Antoni Flag of the United States United States Phoenix Suns (2) 62–20 .756
2005–06 Avery Johnson Flag of the United States United States Dallas Mavericks 60–22 .732
2006–07 Sam Mitchell Flag of the United States United States Toronto Raptors 47–35 .573
2007–08 Byron Scott Flag of the United States United States New Orleans Hornets 56–26 .683
2008–09 Mike Brown Flag of the United States United States Cleveland Cavaliers (2) 66–16 .805
2009–10 Scott Brooks Flag of the United States United States Oklahoma City Thunder 50–32 .610
2010–11 Tom Thibodeau Flag of the United States United States Chicago Bulls (4) 62–20 .756
2011–12 Gregg Popovich (2) Flag of the United States United States San Antonio Spurs (2) 50–16 .758
2012–13 George Karl Flag of the United States United States Denver Nuggets (2) 57–25 .695
2013–14 Gregg Popovich (3) Flag of the United States United States San Antonio Spurs (3) 62–20 .756
2014–15 Mike Budenholzer Flag of the United States United States Atlanta Hawks (6) 60–22 .732
2015–16 Steve Kerr Flag of the United States United States Golden State Warriors (3) 73–9 .890
2016–17 Mike D'Antoni (2) Flag of the United States United States Houston Rockets (3) 55–27 .670
2017–18 Dwane Casey Flag of the United States United States Toronto Raptors (2) 59–23 .720
2018–19 Mike Budenholzer (2) Flag of the United States United States Milwaukee Bucks (3) 60–22 .732
2019–20 Nick Nurse Flag of the United States United States Toronto Raptors (3) 46–18 .719
2020–21 Tom Thibodeau (2) Flag of the United States United States New York Knicks (3) 41–31 .569
2021–22 Monty Williams Flag of the United States United States Phoenix Suns (3) 64–18 .780
2022–23 Mike Brown Flag of the United States United States Sacramento Kings (3) 48–34 .585
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