Oklahoma City Thunder News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault directs players against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Could OKC Thunder's Mark Daigneault Win Coach of the Year in 2025-26?

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Winning Coach of the Year isn’t an easy task, especially for a team that has already exceeded every expectation.

Next season will be an intriguing season overall for the Thunder, with the team defending its first NBA title. Considering the pressure that comes with being a reigning champion, the Thunder will have to overcome having a target on their backs throughout the season.

Still being a young team with so many players likely to be in the rotation, Oklahoma City won’t be a traditional champion. That also means it will be impossible to treat it as such, especially in the coaching department.

Of course, the Thunder don’t really have anything to worry about there, as Mark Daigneault has been the architect of their success on the floor over the past few years. While Sam Presti has built the team and been the beneficiary of some lottery luck, the culture and the system on the court has everything to do with what Daigneault has built since being named head coach ahead of the 2020-21 season.

While last season was easily the best in Thunder history, winning 68 games and capturing a championship, Daigneault didn’t necessarily get the credit he deserved. As the Thunder simply won some more regular season games and stayed as the top seed in the West, Daigneault was likely never going to be in the Coach of the Year conversation over guys like Kenny Atkinson, JB Bickerstaff and Ime Udoka, who oversaw significant improvements with their teams.

Still, under Daigneault’s guidance, the Thunder won 11 more games than the year before and had the best point differential in league history. Of course, Daigneault’s Coach of the Year win in 2023-24 effectively eliminated him from the discussion, as no coach has ever won the award in consecutive years.

While topping a 68-win championship-winning season will be nearly impossible, Daigneault will be back on the Coach of the Year menu next year. Although it’s been rare, there are some instances of a coach winning the award twice in three seasons, with Gregg Popovich doing so most recently in 2012 and 2014.

While the award is typically granted because of team success, Daigneault’s best shot in 2026 might be in the player development department. If Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren can continue on their star trajectories, and other young role players, such as Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins, can continue to improve, the Thunder might be able to maintain their 68-win pace from a season ago.

The Thunder were historically dominant last season, especially defensively, and that shouldn’t change next season. But if the Thunder can also show some true offensive dominance, specifically from Williams and Holmgren, to become a truly feared team, Daigneault’s hopes of capturing his second Coach of the Year award will increase dramatically.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: