Why Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson might not want to celebrate COY win

If an NBA coach wants long-term job stability, arguably the last thing he should do is earning COY honors. 

Of the 10 previous winners before Atkinson, only three (Steve Kerr, 2016; Tom Thibodeau, 2021; Mark Daigneault, 2024) are with the team they won the award.

Former Kings head coach Mike Brown, the 2023 winner, was fired 31 games into this season, less than two years after being named the league's best coach.

Former Suns coach Monty Williams won the 2022 award and was fired a year later after taking Phoenix to the West semifinals.

Nick Nurse (2020) and Dwayne Casey (2018) also didn't have much time to celebrate their success, with Nurse lasting just three seasons after winning an NBA title and Casey being fired the offseason immediately following his COY win.

NBA teams don't hesitate to discard coaches, even ones with impressive resumes. In April, the Nuggets shockingly fired former head coach Mike Malone less than two years after winning an NBA championship and despite posting a 471-327 (.590) record in 10 seasons.

The Grizzlies fired former coach Taylor Jenkins after he went 250-214 (.539) in six seasons, including 44-29 through 73 games in 2024-25.

Atkinson's COY win won't protect him if the Cavs, who went 64-18 during the regular season (their second-best record all-time) stumble next season. If anything, it will only apply pressure on Atkinson to keep Cleveland in the Eastern Conference's top tier.

So much for Atkinson's Coach of the Year accolade being a cause of celebration. Recently, it's been a curse.