NBA head coaches have seen their salaries skyrocket over the last couple of years.
The Detroit Pistons’ ill-fated decision to make Monty Williams the highest-paid coach in NBA history gave leverage to several of the league’s big-name coaches when it came to contract negotiations.
Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich – two of the greatest head coaches in NBA history - penned extensions soon after Williams signed his pact with the Pistons.
After an abysmal first season in the Motor City, Williams was replaced by J.B. Bickerstaff on a much cheaper deal.
Five coaches are reportedly on $8 million per year – Tom Thibodeau, JJ Redick, Jason Kidd, Quin Snyder, Michael Malone – while former champion Rick Carlisle is on $7.25 million.
Defending champion Joe Mazzulla is one of the lower-paid coaches at $4.7 million.
Here are the highest-paid NBA head coaches in 2024-25, courtesy of Front Office Sports…
Nick Nurse - $9 million
The pressure is on Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers this season.
Their basketball betting odds to win the title came tumbling when they landed Paul George in the summer, forming arguably the league’s most formidable big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Nurse took an unconventional route to the NBA, coaching all over the world before winning the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors.
It’s set to be a difficult regular season for Nurse as the Sixers aim to keep their stars healthy. Nurse and the Sixers will be defined by the playoffs, where the former Raptors head coach is highly regarded for his in-game adjustments.
Doc Rivers – $10 million
On the topic of in-game adjustments, Doc Rivers is the head coach of another supposedly contending team despite his sustained record of playoff disappointments since winning the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics.
Rivers’ coaching – and lack of adjustments – has often been a point of discussion.
The Milwaukee Bucks hired Rivers after unrest during Adrian Griffin’s brief time in charge at the start of 2023-24. Rivers has rejected suggestions he was an informal consultant for Griffin during his time as head coach.
Mike Budenholzer - $10 million
Like the Sixers, the Phoenix Suns constructed a big-name trio in the hopes of finally getting their hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The first season was a disappointment under Frank Vogel, so the franchise turned to Mike Budenholzer.
The Suns might not have any players among the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year favourites in NBA odds, but there’s more than enough talent on this team to be competitive deep into spring.
Tyronn Lue - $14 million
Tyronn Lue signed a new five-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in May 2024.
The agreement saw him jump from 10th to fourth in the NBA head coach salary rankings.
The Clips have secured one of the NBA’s better coaches long-term as they head into their state-of-the-art new arena.
With Kawhi Leonard ruled out indefinitely to start the season and Paul George in Philadelphia, finishing in the top 10 in a stacked Western Conference is a big ask for Lue.
Erik Spoelstra - $15 million
Already in the top 20 in regular season wins, Erik Spoelstra is destined to reach the top 10 at the very least. Spoelstra is only 54 years old at the time of writing and has a job for life with the Miami Heat.
After navigating the early choppy waters of The Heatles, and winning two titles, the former video coordinator has kept the Heat competitive when other franchises would have been forced to rebuild.
Spoelstra has masterminded a pair of Finals trips around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while consistently transforming overlooked players into functional rotation pieces.
Gregg Popovich - $16 million
A five-time champion and the winner of the most games in NBA history, we will never see another career like Gregg Popovich’s.
Murmurings of retirement have been frequent since the end of the Tim Duncan era, but Popovich kept grinding through some rebuilding years and was rewarded with Victor Wembanyama.
The 75-year-old suffered a mild stroke in November 2024, and there is no timeline for his return at the time of writing. San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright said Popovich is ‘doing well’.
Steve Kerr - $17.5 million
Steve Kerr penned a two-year contract extension worth $35 million in February 2024. Kerr’s deal made him comfortably the highest-paid head coach in the league.
The former sharpshooting guard is one of six coaches in league history to win four or more titles.
Kerr boasts the best postseason winning percentage ever and ranks fifth in regular season winning percentage among coaches to have overseen 400 or more games.
The talent at Kerr’s disposal is sometimes used to detract from his coaching abilities.
Defeating the Boston Celtics in 2022 was further proof – if anyone needed it – that Kerr is a brilliant coach, and he pressed all the right buttons for the US to win gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Golden State Warriors have started the 2024-25 season on a tear despite losing Klay Thompson in free agency. Have Kerr, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green got another run in them?
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
