How Many Black Head Coaches Are There In The NBA?

As of the 2019-20 season, there are only four black head coaches in the NBA: Doc Rivers (Clippers), Lloyd Pierce (Hawks), Dwane Casey (Pistons), and Monty Williams (Suns). This is down from a high of eight in the 2016-17 season.

The current state of black head coaches in the NBA

The current state of black head coaches in the NBA is excellent. Although the number of black head coaches has fluctuated over the years, there are currently eight black head coaches in the NBA. This is the highest number of black head coaches in the NBA in history.

The eight black head coaches in the NBA are:
-Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers)
-Ettore Messina (San Antonio Spurs)
-David Fizdale (New York Knicks)
-James Borrego (Charlotte Hornets)
– Lloyd Pierce (Atlanta Hawks)
– Alvin Gentry (New Orleans Pelicans)
– Dwane Casey (Detroit Pistons)
– Nate McMillan (Indiana Pacers)

A history of black head coaches in the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams. It is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name of the National Basketball Association at its inception after merging with its rival, the National Basketball League (NBL).

The NBA’s several million annual participants are predominately black male players. However, since the 1980s only a handful of black head coaches have been hired despite an ever-growing pool of qualified applicants. In fact, by 2002 there were more African American assistant coaches than there were head coaches.

According to a study done by Richard Lapchick of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, African Americans made up 17 percent of assistant coaches, but only 5 percent of head coaches, as of the 2012-2013 season. That number has only slightly increased since then.

In 2002, NBA Commissioner David Stern formed a committee to address the lack of black head coaches which eventually resulted in the implementation of the “Rooney Rule” named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. The rule requires that teams interview at least one minority candidate for open head coaching and senior football operations positions.

Despite the rule, it took until 2014 for an African American coach to win an NBA championship when Steve Kerr led the Golden State Warriors to victory. In 2019, Kerr was joined by Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as African American head coaches who have won an NBA title.

The challenges black head coaches face in the NBA

Despite the fact that black head coaches have been shown to be just as successful as white head coaches in the NBA, they continue to be underrepresented in the league. In fact, as of 2019, there are only 3 black head coaches out of 30 total teams.

This lack of diversity is due in part to the “roving bandit” theory, which suggests that teams are more likely to hire a coach from outside the organization if they are struggling, and that this pattern disproportionately affects black coaches. Additionally, many observers have noted that black coaches often face higher expectations and are given less leeway to make mistakes than their white counterparts.

These challenges make it difficult for black coaches to get hired and keep their jobs in the NBA, which ultimately perpetuates the cycle of underrepresentation.

The future of black head coaches in the NBA

In recent years, the NBA has made a concerted effort to increase the number of black head coaches around the league. As of the 2019-20 season, there are eight black head coaches in the NBA

This is up from just four in 2018-19, and is the most ever in a single season in league history. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, there is still room for improvement.

Of the 30 teams in the NBA, only eight currently have black head coaches. That means that just over 26% of teams have a black head coach. This number needs to increase if the league truly wants to reflect the diversity of its players and fan base.

The eight black head coaches currently in the NBA are:
-Earl Watson (Phoenix Suns)
-Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers)
– Dwane Casey (Detroit Pistons)
– Alvin Gentry (New Orleans Pelicans)
– Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets)
-Jacque Vaughn (Orlando Magic)
– Lloyd Pierce (Atlanta Hawks)
– David Fizdale (New York Knicks)