After a 2017 offseason in which no NBA teams replaced their head coaches, that brief period of league-wide stability came to an end early in the 2017-18 regular season, when the Suns fired Earl Watson after just four games. Since then, eight more teams have made head coaching changes, ending some of the longest-term marriages around the league.
Dwane Casey (Raptors) had been the league’s fourth longest-tenured head coach, while Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) had been sixth on that list and Steve Clifford (Hornets) was seventh. All three of those head coaches now have new jobs with other clubs.
Of course, some of the NBA coaching changes in recent months have involved head coaches who weren’t with their teams for long. When we examined the league’s longest-tenured coaches a year ago, David Fizdale (Grizzlies) and Jeff Hornacek (Knicks) represented two of the three most recent hires. Both men have since been replaced.
Given all the turnover in the head coaching ranks, it’s time we updated our list. Here’s the current breakdown of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches, sorted by the date they were hired:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
- Rick Carlisle, Mavericks: May 2008
- Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers: August 2012
- Doc Rivers, Clippers: June 2013
- Brad Stevens, Celtics: July 2013
- Brett Brown, Sixers: August 2013
- Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
- Quin Snyder, Jazz: June 2014
- Billy Donovan, Thunder: April 2015
- Alvin Gentry, Pelicans: May 2015 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
- Fred Hoiberg, Bulls: June 2, 2015
- Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 15, 2015
- Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers: January 2016
- Kenny Atkinson, Nets: April 2016 (remained Hawks assistant through Atlanta’s playoff run)
- Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves: April 20, 2016
- Scott Brooks, Wizards: April 26, 2016
- Luke Walton, Lakers: April 29, 2016 (remained Warriors assistant through playoffs)
- Dave Joerger, Kings: May 9, 2016
- Nate McMillan, Pacers: May 16, 2016
- Mike D’Antoni, Rockets: June 2016
- J.B. Bickerstaff, Grizzlies: November 2017
- Igor Kokoskov, Suns: May 2, 2018
- David Fizdale, Knicks: May 7, 2018
- James Borrego, Hornets: May 10, 2018
- Lloyd Pierce, Hawks: May 11, 2018
- Mike Budenholzer, Bucks: May 17, 2018
- Steve Clifford, Magic: May 30, 2018
- Dwane Casey, Pistons: June 11, 2018
- Nick Nurse, Raptors: June 14, 2018
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