- Here are the top 25 winningest coaches in NBA history.
- Gregg Popovich leads the list.
- Other legendary coaches on the list are Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan, and Pat Riley.
One of the key components of an NBA teamโs success is a great coach. These coaches provide the necessary leadership to the team and persuade them to buy into their basketball system, which could eventually win them a title. These coaches also greatly help an NBA teamโs position in NBA odds to be a top contender.
Among the long list of great coaches in the NBA, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs leads the league with the most wins in history, with 1,366. He broke the record previously held by Don Nelson in March 2022. This incredible feat was primarily because of his 27-year role as the Spursโ head tactician, which made him one of the top 6 longest-tenured NBA coaches.
#23HoopClass inductee Gregg Popovich:
5x NBA Champion
3x NBA Coach of the Year
Most Wins as a Head Coach in NBA History
Named one of the Top 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 1, 2023
Don Nelson currently holds the second-most number of wins by a head coach with 1,335 during his 31-year tenure as the head tactician of the Milwaukee Bucks (11 seasons), Golden State Warriors (11 seasons), Dallas Mavericks (eight seasons), and the New York Knicks (one season).ย
Following Nelson in the most wins category is Lenny Wilkens. He spent 32 seasons with Seattle Supersonics (11 seasons), Cleveland Cavaliers (seven seasons), Atlanta Hawks (seven seasons), Toronto Raptors (three seasons), Portland Trail Blazers (two seasons), and the New York Knicks (two seasons). Wilkens led the Sonics to back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 1978 and 1979 and helped them capture the title in 1979.
25 Winningest NBA Coaches of All Time
| Coach | Total Wins |
|---|---|
| Gregg Popovich* | 1,366 |
| Don Nelson | 1,335 |
| Lenny Wilkens | 1,332 |
| Jerry Sloan | 1,221 |
| Pat Riley | 1,210 |
| George Karl | 1,175 |
| Phil Jackson | 1,155 |
| Larry Brown | 1,098 |
| Doc Rivers | 1,096 |
| Rick Adelman | 1,042 |
| Bill Fitch | 944 |
| Red Auerbach | 938 |
| Dick Motta | 935 |
| Rick Carlisle* | 894 |
| Jack Ramsay | 864 |
| Cotton Fitzsimmons | 832 |
| Gene Shue | 784 |
| Nate McMillan | 759 |
| John MacLeod | 707 |
| Erik Spoelstra* | 704 |
| Red Holzman | 696 |
| Mike DโAntoni | 673 |
| Mike Fratello | 667 |
| Flip Saunders | 654 |
| Chuck Daly | 638 |
*Active coaches
Win total through the 2022-23 season.
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