Who Is The Highest Paid NBA Coach?
A look at the highest paid coaches in the NBA today.
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996, making him the longest tenured active head coach in both the NBA and all major sports leagues in North America. Popovich is also one of only four coaches in NBA history to have won five NBA Championships, and he is one of only two coaches to have won five championships with a single team.
In his 23rd season as a head coach, he has led the Spurs to a .710 winning percentage, which ranks third among active head coaches behind only Doc Rivers and Erik Spoelstra. Among active head coaches, Popovich has the fifth highest winning percentage in regular season games, and he is one of only six coaches with 1,000+ wins. Popovich has been voted NBA Coach of the Year three times and he was named one of Sports Illustrated’s Top 10 Coaches of All Time.
In addition to his 5 NBA Championships, Popovich has also led the Spurs to 22 consecutive playoff appearances (as of 2019), which is tied for second longest streak behind only Phil Jackson’s 25 straight appearances with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. He has also won an NBA-record seven conference championships as a head coach.
Doc Rivers
As of 2019, Doc Rivers is the highest paid NBA coach, earning a salary of $10 million per year. Rivers has been the head coach of the LA Clippers since 2013, and has led the team to six consecutive playoff appearances. Prior to coaching the Clippers, Rivers spent nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning the NBA Championship in 2008.
Stan Van Gundy
The highest paid NBA coach is Stan Van Gundy, who is currently the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. He is in the first year of a five-year, $35 million contract that he signed with the team in May of 2014.
Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle is an American professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. During his playing career, Carlisle was a member of the Boston Celtics 1986–87 title team. He has been head coach of four different NBA teams. Prior to his NBA career, Carlisle played for four different college basketball teams. He attended Bangor High School in Bangor, Maine and then playing college basketball at University of Maine from 1980 to 1983. Afterwards he transferred to Virginia Tech where he played from 1983 to 1984.
Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr is the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, winning five championships as a player and three as a head coach. In addition to his on-court success, Kerr is also one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA.
According to Forbes, Kerr earned an estimated $7 million in 2018, making him the highest-paid coach in the NBA. His salary puts him ahead of other well-known coaches such as Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs ($6 million) and Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers ($5 million).
