NBA coaching salaries have reached unprecedented levels, with Steve Kerr topping the league with an annual extension of $17.5 million following a 2024 extension that doubled his previous deal. Six coaches received extensions worth $8-11 million per year this summer, while Mike Brown landed a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Knicks despite being fired by Sacramento just 12 months earlier.
The highest level of NBA coaching compensation now includes three championship-winning coaches. Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers are each making $15 million a year after signing extensions that roughly doubled their previous salaries.
The financial increase comes amid unprecedented coaching instability, with half of the league’s 30 coaches hired in the past two years. The Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone in April with three games left in the regular season, shocking the NBA just two years after he led the franchise to its first championship.
Winning titles does not guarantee job security. Since 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have all fired their championship coaches within two years of hoisting the trophy.
The New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau in early June despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. The Knicks unsuccessfully sought permission to interview five current under-contract coaches before hiring Brown, whose tenure in Sacramento ended despite back-to-back winning seasons and two Coach of the Year awards.
Nine coaches now make at least $10 million a year, compared to just Gregg Popovich before Monty Williams reset the market with the Detroit Pistons’ six-year contract, $78.5 million in 2023. The bottom tier of NBA coaching salaries is around $4 million a year.
These positions have evolved from the focused roles of X and O to CEO-level positions managing basketball operations for franchises with an average value of $5.5 billion – 15 times their value 15 years ago. Yet owners show minimal patience as losses pile up, finding it easier to replace coaches than overhaul schedules.
“I feel very comfortable going into the season with one year left,” Kerr told ESPN in September about his contract status. “I’m so aligned with Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and Joe [Lacob]. We have discussed this, there is no need for discussion or concern.”
Kerr is entering the final year of his contract despite winning four championships as Golden State’s coach. Coaches in major sports leagues rarely reach their final year of contracts without extensions, especially those of Kerr’s stature.
The top 10 NBA coaches will earn an estimated $120 million in base salaries this season, compared to $158 million for the highest-paid NFL coaches. NBA coaching contracts remain fully guaranteed and typically include playoff performance bonuses.
Top 10 Highest Paid NBA Coaches:
1. Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) – $17.5 million
2. Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) – $15 million
3. Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers) – $15 million
4. Doc Rivers (Milwaukee Bucks) – $10 million
5. Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets) – $10 million
6. Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics) – $10 million
7. Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers) – $10 million
8. Mike Brown (New York Knicks) – $10 million
9. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) – $9.5 million
10. JJ Redick (Los Angeles Lakers) – $8 million
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