Top Coaches in NBA History with the Most Championship Wins

The NBA is undoubtedly a player-driven league, but the importance of having an elite coach cannot be overstated. The great coaches are the ones who consistently lead their teams to the Finals year after year, showcasing their ability to effectively manage superstar players. It is no easy feat to navigate the diverse personalities in an NBA locker room, and the first man on this list excelled at this aspect of coaching like no other!

Phil Jackson (11 Titles)

Most coaches on this list grabbed all their titles with one organization, but Jackson spread his love to two different cities. The Zen Master coached overseas before becoming an assistant for the Chicago Bulls in 1987. He then took over as their coach in 1989. It couldn’t have been better timing because that’s when Michael Jordan took over the league and became one of the greatest players in NBA history. MJ — along with Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman — helped Jackson and the Bulls win six championships during the 90s. Some upper-management issues forced Jackson out of Chicago, and he did just fine when he joined the Lakers. Jackson won five titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A. before ending his coaching career in 2011. 

Red Auerbach (9 Titles)

Auerbach led Boston to nine titles during the 50s and 60s. What makes it even more remarkable is that Auerbach won nine of those titles in a 10-year span. Ring No. 9 came from his final season as the coach for the C’s, but he became their team president shortly after that. Auerbach was also instrumental in breaking the color barrier in the NBA — drafting the first-ever African-American player and introducing the first all-African-American starting five. 

John Kundla (5 Titles)

Most of the Lakers’ success happened in Los Angeles, but Kunda led the way while they were in Minneapolis. Kunda won the 1948 BAA title in his first season with the Lakers and won four NBA championships through his first six seasons as their coach. He also made the playoffs in all but one season before ending his NBA coaching career in 1959 after the Lakers moved to L.A. Kundla decided to coach at his alma mater, Minnesota University, throughout the next decade. 

Gregg Popovich (5 Titles)

Many modern-day fans consider Pop the best coach in the NBA today. It’s easy to see why because he was the coach for the San Antonio Spurs during their dynasty run. He took over as coach in 1996 and immediately turned the franchise around. Despite winning 17 games in his debut season, he turned them into a 56-win team the following season and won his first of five titles the year after. All of those titles happened between 1998 and 2014, but what Popovich did for the Spurs’ culture is truly unique. Top picks like Tim Duncan and David Robinson spent their entire careers with the Spurs and turned them into one of the best franchises over the last 30 years.

Pat Riley (5 Titles)

Riley is still one of the best executives in the NBA for the Miami Heat, but he was a killer coach before that. He started his career as an assistant for the Lakers in 1979 and took over as their coach in 1981. Riley made an immediate impact, winning a championship in his debut season. He spent the next nine seasons in L.A., winning four championships. That wasn’t the end, though. In 1995, Riley took the coaching job in Miami and won a title in 2005. 

Steve Kerr (4 Titles)

Kerr was known as a sharpshooter when he played for the 90s Bulls, and he took that style of play into his coaching career. He took over as the Warriors’ coach in 2014 and immediately won a championship in his first season. Kerr went on to win four titles and over the next eight seasons. All of that has happened over the last decade, and a 73-9 season in 2015 might be his most impressive achievement.