NBA · 11 hours ago

Ranking the Top 10 Coaches in the NBA Right Now: Preseason Edition

Harrison Montavon

Host · Writer

Who's in Your Top 10?
There is no perfect way to rank NBA coaches. People value different things when evaluating coaching, and there are so many factors to consider. Talent matters, situations matter, and even the best coach in the league can only do so much with the roster he is given.

What separates the coaches on this list is their ability to consistently get the most out of their teams, whether that means developing young players, adjusting in the playoffs, or managing a locker room full of stars. Plenty of great coaches are in the league, but heading into this season, these 10 have done the most to earn their place near the top.

Did I "snub" anyone from your top 10? Which coach is too high on my list? Anyone too low? What rising coach can crack this top 10 by next season or maybe sooner?

Let us know in the comments!
NBA Top 10 Coaches Right Now
Coaching in the NBA has never been more difficult. Between managing superstar personalities, constantly changing rosters, and adapting to new trends and styles of play, the best coaches have to bring much more to the table than drawing up plays.

Some coaches separate themselves with their Xs and Os, while others build winning cultures that can last for decades. The truly transcendent ones can do both. Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, these are the 10 coaches I believe stand above the rest.
10. Charles Lee
While the Hornets have struggled for most of their existence, hiring Charles Lee as head coach in 2024 has been a bright spot in the last couple of years. At just 41, Lee is an up-and-coming offensive guru.

Charles Lee NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Charlotte Hornets
- Career Record: 63-101
- Record With Hornets: 63-101
- Last Season Record: 44-38
- Last Season Finish: 3rd in Southeast | Missed Playoffs
In the second half of the 2026 season, the Hornets were a top-three offense in the league, with the big three of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller having the best offensive rating of any three-man group. Lee played to his personnel’s strengths beautifully, using guard-to-guard screening actions, off-ball movement, and a green light for his stars, constantly weaponizing his roster's elite shooting. While the defense struggled, the elite offensive system led the Hornets to their most successful season in several years.

Lee will certainly have to adjust his philosophy after losing their engine in LaMelo Ball. We're not concerned, as Lee has shown enough coaching brilliance that it’s safe to say the Hornets' offense will find a way to stay elite.
9. Ime Udoka
Ime Udoka has turned every team he has coached into a tougher and more disciplined version of itself.

Ime Udoka NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Houston Rockets
- Career Record: 196-132
- Record With Rockets: 145-101
- Last Season Record: 52-30
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Southwest | Lost First Round
In his lone season in Boston, Udoka took the Celtics to the NBA Finals. Since arriving in Houston, he has helped turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a consistent 50-win-level contender, winning 52 games in each of the last two seasons. The Rockets have built their identity on physical defense, rebounding, and making opponents uncomfortable, all things that match Udoka’s personality as a coach.

The biggest criticism is that Houston has not translated its regular season success into a deep playoff run, losing in the first round in back-to-back years. However, It's tough to say either of these were truly on Udoka. The lack of talent in his first year in Houston and the injuries in year two severely limited what the Rockets' offense could do. Even so, the jump Houston has made under Udoka is hard to ignore. If playoff success catches up with the regular-season results, he could quickly move even higher on this list.
8. Chris Finch
Chris Finch has helped turn the Timberwolves from a talented but inconsistent team into a legitimate Western Conference contender.

Chris Finch NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
- Career Record: 258-193
- Record With Timberwolves: 258-193
- Last Season Record: 49-33
- Last Season Finish: 3rd in Northwest | Lost Western Conference Semifinals
Minnesota made back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, and even after falling in the second round last season, they remained one of the toughest teams in the West. Finch deserves credit for building a system that has stayed effective even as the roster around his stars has changed. His teams have consistently defended at a high level, and he has shown the flexibility to adjust the offense around different personnel.

It will be interesting to see how Finch utilizes newly acquired star LaMelo Ball. Ball has a drastically different style of play than Minnesota's veteran guards in previous years. This will be another challenge for Finch: can he adapt to another roster change and turn the volatile Ball into a consistent, winning player? Finch may not get the same attention as some championship coaches, but his ability to keep Minnesota in contention while continuing to scheme up elite playoff defenses makes him one of the league’s best.
7. Steve Kerr
While Steve Kerr may not be the most innovative or tactical coach at this point in his career, he was selected to lead the USA Olympic team in the summer of 2024 for a reason.

Steve Kerr NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Golden State Warriors
- Career Record: 604-353
- Record With Warriors: 604-353
- Last Season Record: 37-45
- Last Season Finish: 4th in Pacific | Missed Playoffs
Fairly or unfairly, the verdict is still out on whether Kerr can win without hyper-talented rosters. However, he has certainly made the most of the superstars he’s been privileged to coach, winning four championships in his career. Kerr’s best trait is handling those high-level players and gaining their respect.

His experience playing for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s with Michael Jordan, certainly helped him develop this trait. The ability to handle superstar egos while getting them to gel on the court is rare and exactly what made him a perfect coach for Team USA. Even with a roster featuring all the league's superstars, they all respected Kerr and rallied behind him, a great example of the kind of locker room leader he is.
6. Joe Mazzulla
Joe Mazzulla took over for Ime Udoka in 2022 after the team reached the finals, with very little experience. In just his second season as an NBA head coach, he helped lead Boston to its 18th championship, building a highly efficient five-out offense that helped the Celtics get over the hump.

Joe Mazzulla NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Boston Celtics
- Career Record: 238-90
- Record With Celtics: 238-90
- Last Season Record: 56-26
- Last Season Finish: 1st in Atlantic | Lost First Round
While the five-out style of play was extremely effective when the Celtics had likely the most talented roster in the NBA in 2024, it backfired on Boston last season. The high variance this heavy three-point shooting scheme brings has proven lethal with the right personnel, yet inconsistent. Mazzulla has reached the mountaintop, but it’s yet to be seen whether his offensive style can translate to the playoffs with less stacked rosters.

He certainly has a great basketball mind perfectly fit for the modern age, but he hasn't been willing to change his heavy analytical philosophy when things go south in the playoffs. Despite that, Mazzula has done a great job keeping the Celtics consistently in the contender category since taking over for Udoka. Last regular season was an impressive display of coaching as he led the Celtics to a 56-win season despite their superstar forward Jayson Tatum being sidelined all year.
5. Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson has quickly turned Cleveland from a good young team into one of the most complete teams in the Eastern Conference.

Kenny Atkinson NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
- Career Record: 234-238
- Record With Cavaliers: 116-48
- Last Season Record: 52-30
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Central | Lost Eastern Conference Finals
Atkinson’s impact was obvious immediately. The Cavaliers won 64 games in his first season and followed it up with 52 wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. His offense gives Cleveland’s guards freedom to attack while still keeping the ball moving and getting everyone involved. His time as an assistant under Steve Kerr in Golden State also shows in the Cavaliers’ spacing and willingness to move without the ball.

Cleveland was swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, so Atkinson still has to prove he can get this group over the top. Still, turning the Cavaliers into a team that expects to contend every year and helping them improve on both ends of the floor earns him a spot on this list.
4. Mike Brown
The Knicks' dominant championship run wasn’t just built on great play on the court; it was also a masterclass in Coach Mike Brown's Xs and Os.

Mike Brown NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: New York Knicks
- Career Record: 507-333
- Record With Knicks: 53-29
- Last Season Record: 53-29
- Last Season Finish: 2nd in Atlantic | NBA Champions
Mike Brown built an elite offense in Sacramento in 2023, and he did the same with the Knicks. By adjusting to use Karl-Anthony Towns more as a top-of-the-key playmaking hub in the playoffs, he unlocked New York's full offensive potential. This play style switch up late in the season would seem desperate in many cases, but for the Knicks it was exactly what was needed to get the best out of Town’s skill set while making everyone else’s job on the floor easier.

Brown also turned a team seen as bad on defense in the regular season into one of the league's best defenses in the playoffs by addressing key schematic issues and getting his stars to buy in on that end.
3. Rick Carlisle
Rick Carlisle knows how to win. In every era and in every stage of his career, he has found ways to succeed.

Rick Carlisle NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Indiana Pacers
- Career Record: 1,012-923
- Record With Pacers: 357-381
- Last Season Record: 19-63
- Last Season Finish: 5th in Central | Missed Playoffs
Carlisle’s longevity sets him apart from most coaches in the league: he surpassed 1,000 career wins last season, becoming just the 11th coach in NBA history to reach that mark. Even more impressive is that he has won in completely different eras, from being a player on the legendary 1986 Boston Celtics to coaching in the slower half-court style of the early 2000s to the fast-paced, movement-heavy offense of today. His ability to constantly reinvent his teams is a major reason he has remained one of the NBA’s best coaches for more than two decades.

The Pacers' run to the NBA Finals in 2025 was beautiful to every basketball purist. The high-tempo, spaced-out, ball-movement-oriented style Carlisle orchestrated works to perfection in the modern era of playoff basketball. The championship-winning coach (with Dallas) has shown he can fully adapt to new NBA trends, despite his advanced age. With the Pacers being healthy again for the first time since their Finals berth, don’t be surprised if Carlisle has this team right back in contention.
2. Mark Daigneault
The Thunder’s 2025 championship squad was special. Their defense, in particular, was one of the greatest of the modern era.

Mark Daigneault NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
- Career Record: 275-207
- Record With Thunder: 275-207
- Last Season Record: 64-18
- Last Season Finish: 1st in Northwest | Lost Western Conference Finals
While the personnel certainly helps, Mark Daigneault knows how to play into his team's strengths. The heavy switching scheme shut down opposing offenses and some of the league’s premier stars. This included locking down reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in Game 7 of the second round. Daigneault deployed a seemingly crazy strategy of using guard Alex Caruso as the big man’s primary defender. The ability to adjust to the matchup and the fearlessness to deploy new strategies is what makes Daigneault a great coach and perfect for the young and talented OKC Thunder.

What makes Daigneault even more impressive is how quickly he turned the Thunder from a rebuilding team into the league’s model franchise. In 2024, he became NBA Coach of the Year after leading the youngest team in league history to earn a No. 1 seed in its conference. The Thunder followed that up with a franchise-record 68 wins and an NBA championship in 2025, then won another 64 games the following season. OKC has now finished first in the Western Conference in three straight seasons, showing that Daigneault’s success is much more than the result of one great playoff run.
1. Erik Spoelstra
Some coaches are great basketball minds, and others are great culture builders. Erik Spoelstra is both.

Erik Spoelstra NBA Coaching Profile
- Team: Miami Heat
- Career Record: 830-611
- Record With Heat: 830-611
- Last Season Record: 43-39
- Last Season Finish: 4th in Southeast | Missed Playoffs
Spoelstra had big shoes to fill after Pat Riley passed him the torch as the Heat’s next head coach in 2008, after they had won a championship just two years prior. The Heat didn’t skip a beat with Spoelstra at the helm, as Miami has made six NBA Finals appearances since then, winning two championships. Spo’s ability to continue the winning culture Riley started has been crucial, as Miami has been extremely consistent, making the playoffs in 14 of his 18 seasons there. Even after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Heat made a Finals appearance in the 2020s with a roster widely considered less talented than other contenders.

Spoelstra knows how to lead a team and out-scheme just about any other coach in the league come playoff time, as he sits fifth all-time in postseason wins by a head coach. This offseason, the Heat retooled with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Spo will look to move even higher on that leaderboard.
Who's in Your Top 10?
There is no perfect way to rank NBA coaches. People value different things when evaluating coaching, and there are so many factors to consider. Talent matters, situations matter, and even the best coach in the league can only do so much with the roster he is given.

What separates the coaches on this list is their ability to consistently get the most out of their teams, whether that means developing young players, adjusting in the playoffs, or managing a locker room full of stars. Plenty of great coaches are in the league, but heading into this season, these 10 have done the most to earn their place near the top.

Did I "snub" anyone from your top 10? Which coach is too high on my list? Anyone too low? What rising coach can crack this top 10 by next season or maybe sooner?

Let us know in the comments!
NBA Top 10 Coaches Right Now
Coaching in the NBA has never been more difficult. Between managing superstar personalities, constantly changing rosters, and adapting to new trends and styles of play, the best coaches have to bring much more to the table than drawing up plays.

Some coaches separate themselves with their Xs and Os, while others build winning cultures that can last for decades. The truly transcendent ones can do both. Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, these are the 10 coaches I believe stand above the rest.

Ranking the Top 10 Coaches in the NBA Right Now: Preseason Edition

Charles Lee NBA Coaching Profile

Ime Udoka NBA Coaching Profile

Chris Finch NBA Coaching Profile

Steve Kerr NBA Coaching Profile

Joe Mazzulla NBA Coaching Profile

Kenny Atkinson NBA Coaching Profile

Mike Brown NBA Coaching Profile

Rick Carlisle NBA Coaching Profile

Mark Daigneault NBA Coaching Profile

Erik Spoelstra NBA Coaching Profile

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