It has been another eventful year on the NBA’s head coaching carousel, with eight teams making coaching changes since the calendar flipped to 2024.
That group includes the Cavaliers, whose previous head coach – J.B. Bickerstaff – ranked sixth on the list of the NBA’s longest-tenured coaches prior to his dismissal this spring. Bickerstaff ultimately found a new job in Detroit, so he’s back on the list below — but he now ranks 30th, since he’s the head coach who was most recently hired.
Improbably, after Bucks coach Adrian Griffin and Suns coach Frank Vogel placed 28th and 29th on this list last year as two of the league’s most recent hires, Milwaukee and Phoenix have moved up to 24th and 27th on this year’s iteration despite each making coaching changes in 2024.
Six new head coaches have been hired since the Bucks named Doc Rivers as Griffin’s replacement in January, while three head coaches were hired this summer after the Suns tabbed Mike Budenholzer to replace Vogel in May.
Here’s the current breakdown of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches by team:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
- Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
- Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 2015
- Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies: June 2019
- Tom Thibodeau, Knicks: July 2020
- Billy Donovan, Bulls: September 2020
- Tyronn Lue, Clippers: October 2020
- Mark Daigneault, Thunder: November 2020
- Chris Finch, Timberwolves: February 2021
- Rick Carlisle, Pacers: June 24, 2021
- Chauncey Billups, Trail Blazers: June 27, 2021
- Jason Kidd, Mavericks: June 28, 2021
- Jamahl Mosley, Magic: July 11, 2021
- Willie Green, Pelicans: July 22, 2021
- Mike Brown, Kings: May 2022
- Will Hardy, Jazz: June 2022
- Joe Mazzulla, Celtics: September 2022
- Note: Mazzulla became the Celtics’ interim head coach in September 2022 and was named the permanent head coach in February 2023.
- Quin Snyder, Hawks: February 2023
- Ime Udoka, Rockets: April 2023
- Nick Nurse, Sixers: June 1, 2023
- Darko Rajakovic, Raptors: June 13, 2023
- Brian Keefe, Wizards: January 25, 2024
- Note: Keefe became the Wizards’ interim head coach in January 2024 and was named the permanent head coach in May 2024.
- Doc Rivers, Bucks: January 26, 2024
- Jordi Fernandez, Nets: April 2024
- Charles Lee, Hornets: May 9, 2024
- Mike Budenholzer, Suns: May 11, 2024
- J.J. Redick, Lakers: June 24, 2024
- Kenny Atkinson, Cavaliers: June 28, 2024
- J.B. Bickerstaff, Pistons: July 2024
There was above-average stability among the top half of the league’s longest-tenured coaches in the past year — Bickerstaff was the only one in the top 15 to be replaced.
Still, this list reflects how difficult it is for an NBA head coach to stick in one place. Only five active coaches have more than four seasons under their belts with their current clubs, while exactly half of the league’s current coaches have been with their teams for no more than two seasons.
I have never understood the idea that Taylor Jenkins could be on the hot-seat. The Grizzlies had been very competitive and improving each year before the insane number of injuries and suspension of Morant.
We as fans can see that. But all that the owner sees is that they had a low-win season with poor attendance and their star player making a butt of himself. That has to be the coach’s fault, they paid enough money to other stars that even with everything going wrong, they should still be winning.
Sports team owners don’t typically care about logic, they care about money.
jenkins problem are internal he lets his players do and say whatever they want. He had problems with Girizzly players trash talking opponents and jenkins back them up on it. You got to have some restraint with your players.
That’s rich coming from a warriors fan lol
Grizzlies had rivals with many teams not just warriors for smack talking their opponents but do go ahead and pretend it was only the warriors since you hate them being your daddy
“jenkins problem are internal he lets his players do and say whatever they want.”
Arc, Cmon bud, there is no situation in the NBA that reeks this more than Draymond Green being enabled by Steve Kerr. Stop trying to justify it by deflecting to someone’s Warriors “hate.”
Jenkins was the guy chosen to lead that Grizzlies team but he has zero control over his idiot superstar flashing a handgun in a nightclub. Or if that same dumbass player punches a 17yr old in a pickup game at the player’s own house. Once a player leaves the facility then the coach and the organization have no control over his actions out in public.
Then we have the opposite of that in Steve Kerr continuously watching Draymond either punch a teammate in practice or trying to choke out the opposing center during a game or just chest stomping on another center when walking over the guy on the floor. Green has a long history of these antics that are pretty well documented online and his suspension history speaks for itself. You don’t have to hate the Dubs just because you point this out.
Sure erik the warrior hater making up excuses to hate the warriors. lets not forget your Celtics are smack talkers too and Al Horford is one of the biggest in the NBA just like Green. Coming from a team that had Smart one of the dirty players in the NBA. Going to be fun all your excuses this year why the Celtics don’t repeat.
Are you seriously comparing al Harford to draymond green? Lol is this Davey’s burner account or are all warrior fans delusional
its called a example. Almost every team has somebody that trash talks and provoke other players. You old Houston team was good at it.
Okay. Stephen Curry is great at shooting 3s. So is Peyton Pritchard. They both hit 3s that helped win championships. By your logic they are the same player.
Steph Curry wishes he was Payton Pritchard
Erik gets it
Erik just a hater like you.
@ arc. This isn’t college. It’s the nba, they’re grown men. Talking trash isn’t exclusive to the Grizzlies, nor is it a problem. If you want guys to play for you, and you want to keep your job, let them express themselves however the F they want. If they lose, said players look dumb. Of course a coach is going to have his players backs. What are you even saying?
Steph is aloud to do his disrespectful shimmy, look away run back three’s. Put the baby to sleep and your fine with that. I’m fine with that. If they’re winning tough luck, can do what he wants. Draymond assaulting people on the regular is another story. You warriors fans are so one eyed and biased, can give but you can’t take. Remember the crying Jordan memes and cardboard cut outs lol. Didn’t age well.
pretty much every NBA player over exaggerates their good play. So calling out Curry you would need to do the same for every player from Ja to Wemby to LeBron even the unknowns. All I said was Jenkins problem is he lets his players do anything and doesn’t discipline them. The only excuse people do is the what about excuse Green. Am I defending Green? No Green is his own problem because with a bullseye on his back teams go after him just to get him mad. Even Lebron did it in the finals and Green cost them a championship. Poole was even a worse trash talker than Green is why green punched him. Al went after Green in the Finals to get under Green’s skin. Every spat recently Green has had is with the bullies in the league. Green is not the smartest player knowing that they will provoke him.
2/3s of the league has replaced their head coach in the last 3 years. Crazy.
for context on the greatness of pop and spo…. Tom Thibodeau is the 6th longest tenured coach on this list… he’s been fired twice and hired 3 times in less than half of either of their tenures lol… even crazier… Rick Carlisle was hired as coach of the pacers twice… and had a near 15 year run with the mavs.. only to be coach of the pacers again.. while spo and pop were cemented on their teams lol
If you add up years on the job prior to 2024 (meaning people hired in 2024 count as zero), Pop has been with the Spurs as long as #10-30 have been with their teams combined.
Right place, right time, right organization, right players, right roles …. many things needs to go right for NBA head coaches.