Jerry Sloan and the 10 Greatest Coaches to Never Win Coach of the Year Award
The ultimate individual prize an NBA coach can receive is the Red Auerbach Trophy, and it was originally handed to Harry Gallatan of the St. Louis Hawks in 1963.ย
Named after the legendary Boston Celtic head coach who led the them to nine NBA championships, the NBA Coach of the Year Award has been rightfully handed to some of the league's greatest, most surprising and overachieving coaches.ย
Pat Riley has received the award three different times (1990, 1993 and 1997) with three different NBA teams (Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat).ย
In the 1966-1967 season, Johnny "Red" Kerr was awarded the Auerbach Trophy despite the Chicago Bulls'ย losing record (33-48) and the Philadelphia 76ers dominance (68-13)โmore than double the Bulls' win percentage. It was the year of the Bulls inception.ย
The system, which is media-voting based, isn't perfect; many great coaches' careers have ended without the award.ย
Here's a look at the 10 greatest coaches to never win the Coach of the Year Award:
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Bill Russell
Teams Coached
Boston Celtics (1966-1969), Seattle SuperSonics (1973-1977), Sacramento Kings (1987-1988)
Record
341-290 (.540)
Playoff Appearances
5 (.625)
Playoff Record
34-27 (.557)
NBA Championships
2
NBA Finals Appearances
2
Bill Russell was the first ever African-American coach in the National Basketball Association.
After the great Red Auerbach retired in 1966, Russell took over the head coaching duties of the Boston Celtics. But his responsibilities didnโt stop at coaching because Russell was still playing basketball for the Celtics as well.
The player-coach aspect of Russell is what puts him on this list, because his coaching days with the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings were underwhelming, although not bad.ย
During his three years coaching and playing with the Celtics, he led Boston to 162 wins and only 83 losses. And in the process, the Celtics walked away with theirย 10th and 11th NBA championships.
Rudy Tomjanovich
Teams Coached
Houston Rockets (1991-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2004-2005)
Record
527-416 (.559)
Playoff Appearances
7ย (54%)
Playoff Record
51-39 (.567)
NBA Championships
2
NBA Finals Appearances
2
Rudy Tomjanovich took over the Houston Rockets with only 30 games remaining in the 1991-1992 season. The Rockets went 16-14 and failed to make the playoffs.
Only one year later, Tomjanovich led Houston to 55 wins. In his third and fourth year the Rockets went on to win back-to-back NBA championships under the leadership of Hakeem Olajuwon. ย
Tomjanovich spent 11 years with the Rockets before retiring with the Lakers after the 2005 NBA season.
John MacLeod
Teams Coached
Phoenix Suns (1973-1987), Dallas Mavericks (1987-1989), New York Knicks (1990-1991)
Record: 707-657 (.518)
Playoff Appearances
11 (61%)
Playoff Record
47-54 (.465)
NBA Championships
0
NBA Finals Appearances
1
John MacLeod coached in the NBA for almost 20 years and appeared in over 1,350 games from 1973-1991.
In only his third year as coach for the Phoenix Suns, Macleod led the Suns to the NBA Finals with a well-balanced scoring attack that included seven players who averaged at least 10 or more points per game.
The Suns defeated the heavy favorite Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
However, Phoenix ran into the monstrous Boston Celtics in the championship series and wasnโt able to overcome Dave Cowens or John Havlicek.
MacLeodโs best stretch was from 1978-1983 where the Suns posted four 50-plus win seasons, including a 57-25 record in 1981.
No. 10: Lester "Les" Harrison
2 of 11
Teams Coached
Rochester Royals (1948-1955)
Record
295-181 (.620)
Playoff Appearances
7 (100%)
Playoff Record
19-19 (.500)
NBA Championships
1
NBA Finals Appearances
1
The NBAโs Coach of the Year Award wasnโt in existence when Les Harrison coached, but that doesnโt mean he wasnโt deserving of it.
During his seven years as head coach of the Rochester Royals, Harrison led his upstate New York team to seven consecutive playoff berths and an NBA title in 1951, his only appearance.
Harrisonโs best years as head coach for the Royals came in 1948-1950, where he led them to a combined 96-32 record.ย
Harrison and John Kundla (No. 9) are only so far back on this list because they were never eligible for the award, though there is minimal doubt that they wouldn't have received it. ย
No. 9: John Kundla
3 of 11
Teams Coached
Minneapolis Lakers (1948-1959)
Record
423-302 (.583)
Playoff Appearances
10 (91%)
Playoff Record
60-35 (.632)
NBA Championships
5
NBA Finals Appearances
5
John Kundla is the second of two coaches on this list who were never eligible for the Coach of the Year Award, only because it had yet to be implemented.
Kundla coached the then-Minneapolis Lakers and put the franchise on the map long before Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
Under his direction, the Lakers went on to win five NBA Finals in the first eight years of the leagueโs existence, including the first ever three-peat from 1952-1954.ย
In the 1948-49 season, the Lakers posted the fourth-best winning percentage ever on a home floor, where Minneapolis downed their opponents 30 times in 31 tries.
Kundla was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995.ย
No. 8: Rick Adelman
4 of 11
Teams Coached
Portland Trail Blazers (1988-1994), Golden State Warriors (1995-1997), Sacramento Kings (1998-2006), Houston Rockets (2007-Present)
Record
928-608 (.604)
Playoff Appearances
16 (84%)
Playoff Record
79-78 (.503)
NBA Championships
0
NBA Finals Appearances
2
Rick Adelman may be the most underrated coach in NBA history and heโs currently in his 20th season.
Some NBA purists may see Adelmanโs goose egg in NBA Championships as his most definable attribute, and, to some, that measurement may be fair.
But anyone who factors in the rigors of chasing the elusive for 82 games a year knows that 16 playoff appearances in 19 years of coaching four different franchises puts Adelman on one of the most exclusive lists of all time.
In fact, Phil Jackson has missed the playoffs more times than Adelman even though Jackson began coaching in the NBA a full year later.
The biggest knock on Adelman has been his less-than-stellar playoff record, but the Coach of the Year Award is based on the regular seasonโan area where heโs thrived.
During a three-year stretch from 1990 to 1992, Adelman watched the award go to Don Nelson, Don Chaney and Pat Riley, while he led the Portland Trail Blazers to 179-67 record and two Finals appearancesโboth losses.ย
Then again, from 2001-2004 as head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Adelman led the Kings to a 230-98 record but still couldnโt capture the award.
Adelman was most deserving of Coach of the Year in 2002, when the Kings went 61-21โbest in the NBA. However, Rick Carlisle walked away with the award as the Detroit Pistons went 50-32.
With an overall winning-percentage of .604, Adelman is seventh all-time (minimum 500 games).
No. 7: Larry Costello
5 of 11
Teams Coached
Milwaukee Bucks (1968-1977), Chicago Bulls (1978-1979)
Record
430-300ย (.589)
Playoff Appearances
6 (60%)
Playoff Record
37-23 (.617)ย
NBA Championships
1
Larry Costello is one of the very few coaches in NBA history to remain with one team for the majority of his career. And minus a brief employment with the Chicago Bulls in 1978-79, Costello dominated the Milwaukee Bucks for a full decade.
From 1969-1974, Costello led the Bucks to supremacy in the NBA in the regular season, including three consecutive years of at least 60 wins and five consecutive years of at least 56.
Costello led the Bucks to the NBA Finals twice and managed to come away with the Larry OโBrien Trophy one time in 1971, when Milwaukee went an amazing 12-2 in the playoffs and finals.ย
No. 6: Jack Ramsay
6 of 11
Teams Coached
Philadelphia 76ers (1968-1972), Buffalo Braves (1972-1976), Portland Trail Blazers (1976-1986), Indiana Pacers (1986-1989)
Record
864-783 (.525)
Playoff Appearances
16 (76%)
Playoff Record
44-58 (.431)
NBA Championships
1
NBA Finals Appearances
1
Dr. Jack Ramsay was a head coach in the NBA from 1968 to 1989 and coached four different teams. All four teams made the playoffs in at least once under Ramsay's direction.ย
In 15 of his 21 years coaching, his teams were above .500 and in 16 seasons made the playoffs.ย
Ramsay's best team was in 1977-1978 when the Portland Trail Blazers went 58-24. However, it was the year before that the Blazers won the only NBA Championship in Portland history,ย led by Bill Walton.ย
Ramsay was voted in as one of the top 10 coaches in NBA history in 1997, when the league celebrated its 50th anniversary.ย
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992.ย
No. 5: George Karl
7 of 11
Teams Coached
Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-1986), Golden State Warriors (1986-1988), Seattle SuperSonics (1991-1998), Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Denver Nuggets (2004-Present)
Record
1018-696 (.594)
Playoff Appearances
19 (84%)
Playoff Record
74-93 (.443)
NBA Championships
0
NBA Finals Appearances
1
George Karl has coached five different NBA teams. All of those teams have seen the postseason. Three have reached the playoffs for five consecutive years in a row. Two of those teams have reached the playoffs for six years in a row.ย
Only the Seattle SuperSonics have reached the NBA Finals.ย
Wherever Karl has coached, he has had success, from Cleveland in the mid-80s to the present in Denver. In 22 years as a head coach he has led his team to the playoffs 19 times.ย
Karl is seventh in wins all time, seventh in total games coached andย 10th all time in win percentage (minimum 500 games).ย
The stretch that Karl had from 1993 to 1998 would have been his best chance to receive the award. During those five seasons, he led the SuperSonics to 357 wins.ย
George Karl is a sure-fire lock for the Hall of Fame.
No. 4: Jerry Sloan
8 of 11
Teams Coached
Chicago Bulls (1979-1982), Utah Jazz (1988-2011)
Record
1221-803 (.603)
Playoff Appearances
20 (80%)
Playoff Record
98-104 (.485)ย
NBA Championships
0
NBA Finals Appearances
2
Whenever the Utah Jazz are mentioned, there is usually a domino-like effect that begins with Jerry Sloan, fills in with John Stockton and Karl Malone and ends in a pick-and-roll.
Together those things lasted over a full decade that was defined by excellence, commitment and execution.
From 1988-2011, Sloan coached only the Jazz and along the way became the longest-tenured coach in all of professional sports and one of the most-respected icons in the history of basketball.
The Jazz also had a playoff streak that lasted from 1989 to 2003, and then returned again in 2006 to 2010. In total, Utah visited the playoffs 19 times in 22 years under Sloan and went to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons.
Sloan is third on the all-time wins lists, top 10 for winning percentage and fourth in games coached. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame with his legendary point guard John Stockton in 2009.
His presence in the game will be sorely missed.ย
No. 3: K.C. Jones
9 of 11
Teams Coached
San Diego Conquistadors (1972-1973), Capital Bullets (1973-1974), Washington Bullets (1974-1976), Boston Celtics (1983-1988), Seattle SuperSonics (1990-1992)
Record
552-306 (.643)
Playoff Appearances
10 (.909)
Playoff Record
81-61 (.570)
NBA Championships
2
NBA Finals Appearances
5
K.C. Jones coached the Boston Celtics during the Larry Bird-era of the 1980s and led them to five NBA Finals appearances, including five out of six years.ย
During a five-year stretch, Jones and the Celtics won at least 60 games and totaled 67 in the 1986 NBA season, the last year that Boston won the Finals until 2008.ย
Jones is behind only Phil Jackson and Billy Cunningham in all-time win percentage (minimum 500 games).
His career ended abruptly in Seattle in 1992 after starting the season 18-18. He was replaced by George Karl.
No. 2: Chuck Daly
10 of 11
Teams Coached
Cleveland Cavaliers (1981-1982), Detroit Pistons (1983-1992), New Jersey Nets (1992-1994), Orlando Magic (1997-1999)
Record
638-437 (.593)
Playoff Appearances
12 (86%)
Playoff Record
75-51 (.595)
NBA Championships
2
NBA Finals Appearances
3
Itโs baffling that Chuck Daly was never given the NBA Coach of the Year Award, especially considering the era heโs most known for.
Daly led the "Bad-Boy"ย Detroit Pistons to three-consecutive NBA Finals in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Two of those years resulted in Detroit claiming the NBA crown. Some believe that the league's dislike for the hard-nosed style of play that Daly's Pistons were known for is partly the reason that the award eluded him during his Hall of Fame career.ย
Most notably, Dalyโs team is considered the catalyst and heartbreaker that eventually gave the world the Michael Jordan that is remembered now. Daly inspired and drove Jordan just as much, if not more, than Phil Jackson.
From 1987 to 1991, Daly and Detroit went on to win no less than 50 games each year, includingย amazing back-to-back seasons of 63 and 59 wins respectively.
In 1997, and in celebration of the NBAโs 50-year mark, Daly was awarded the Ten Greatest Coaches of All Time honor.
However, Daly never received Coach of the Year.ย
No. 1: Billy Cunningham
11 of 11
Teams Coached
Philadelphia 76ers (1977-1984)
Record
454-196 (.698)
Playoff Appearances
8 (100%)
Playoff Record
66-39 (.628)
NBA Championships
1
NBA Finals Appearances
4
Billy Cunningham is a pillar in Philadelphia 76ers history and one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time.
Cunningham was draftedย by the Sixers out of the University of North Carolina with the fifth overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft. He went on to have an outstanding NBA and American Basketball Association careers, including an MVP award in 1973 with the Carolina Cougars of the defunct ABA.
In the same year that Cunninghamโs Hall of Fame career ended as a player, he replaced Gene Shue as head coach of the Sixers in 1977.
Over the next eight years, Cunningham would lead Philly to eight consecutive playoff berths, four NBA Finals appearances and an NBA Championship in 1983.
The 76ers worst record under Cunningham came in 1978 when Philadelphia still managed 47 wins, the only time the team failed to break at least 52-win mark under his direction.
In the 1982-83 season, the 76ers went on to win the NBA Finals with Julius Erving and Moses Malone forming one of the greatest NBA duos of all time. It was Cunninghamโs first and last Larry OโBrien Trophy after failing in the Finals three times.
Phillyโs 65-17 record that year remains one of the greatest seasons to date, tied for sixth best ever.
Cunningham has the second-highest win percentage of any coach in NBA history (minimum 500 games).ย
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