Top 5 NBA Coaches of All-Time

[ChadFL]

There have been a lot of best player in NBA history categories lately. Thought I'd make one for coaches. My top 5:

1. Phil Jackson (10 NBA Titles) - You can't argue with 10 world championships in 19 seasons as a head coach. Coached the Bulls to 6 championships and the Lakers to another 4, with a 5th being a strong possibility this year. He is a master like no other coach

2. Red Auerbach (9 NBA Titles) - For the longest time I, and most people considered Red the gold standard for NBA coaches. He coached Boston to 9 titles, but Phil has eclipsed even Red.

3. Pat Riley (5 NBA Titles) - Coached LA to 4 titles and won a 5th in Miami.

4. Gregg Popovich (4 NBA Titles) - He may not be as "exciting" of a pick as Jackson or Red but Popovich quietly turned the Spurs into a dynasty with 4 championships in a 9 year span. He has an impressive .670 win% in 14 seasons with the Spurs. The one constant on his teams has been Tim Duncan, but he's won titles with quite a few interchangable parts.

5. Lenny Wilkins (1 NBA Title) - He only won 1 championship but still improved teams pretty much everywhere coached.

Honorable mention:
John Kundla - Coached the Minneapolis Lakers to 5 NBA titles in the 1940's-50's
Larry Brown - Coached countless teams in his career and improved most of them. Won an NBA title for Detroit
Chuck Daly - Coached "The Bad Boys" to two NBA titles
Red Holzman - Coached NY to 2 NBA titles
Rudy Tomjanovich - Won 2 championships with Houston

[Bizdady]

PJ number 1!!
Arbauch #2
Popovich #3
Riley #4
and Slone #5 (I know he hasnt wont it all but damn to be that consistent its just bad luck to run in great players throughout each decade)

[UK_fan_05]

1. The Zen Master

2. Red Auerbach

3. Popovich

4. Riley

5. Jerry Sloan (Would give this spot to Wilkins, but he was barely over .500 for his career and only one championship. Almost went with Bill Russell as well.)

[MaCruz]

1. Phil Jackson
2. Greg Popovich
3. Pat Riley
4. Chuck Daily
5. Larry Brown

[CZAR]

1. Phil Jackson
2. Red Auerbach
3. Pat Riley
4. Chuck Daly
5. Gregg Popovich

Got Em!!

[gcchifi]

1. Jackson
2. Auerbach
3. Riley
4. Popovich
5. Daly

[KingBing]

1. Aurbach
2. Phil Jackson
3. Popovich
4. Riley
5.Daly

Phil has 9 titles as a coach and one as a player so he is tied with Red.

[bageleaterkkjji]

Originally Posted by KingBing

1. Aurbach
2. Phil Jackson
3. Popovich
4. Riley
5.Daly

Phil has 10 titles as a coach and two as a player so he is tied with Red.

phil is not number 1
he had the 2 greatest teams in possibly history plus he single handedly lost the 2008 finals i remembers

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by KingBing

1. Aurbach
2. Phil Jackson
3. Popovich
4. Riley
5.Daly

Phil has 9 titles as a coach and one as a player so he is tied with Red.

Phil did have just one as a player but he had 10 as a coach.

[cajmoyper]

I think we have the two best coaches ever coaching in our time. Phil had MJ and Shaq and Kobe, yes, but you don't win 10 titles as a coach on accident. He's easily the best motivator and manager of players. Pop is just straight up play design and X's and O's genius. Bottom 3: Red, K.C. Jones, Pat Riley.

[fatediesel]

ESPN.com did a poll of the 10 greatest coaches of all time for all sports. The list went:
10. Larry Brown -- "He's been the Johnny Appleseed of basketball, spreading it across the land." -- Tom K., Las Vegas.

9. Bear Bryant -- "The hat, the voice, the success, what else do you want?" -- Billy A., Birmingham, Ala.

8. Casey Stengel -- "The Yankees are not a dynasty without Casey in the dugout, not to mention the Dodgers, [Boston] Braves and Mets." -- Cal S., Brooklyn, N. Y.

7. Bill Walsh -- "Simply the brightest mind that the game has ever known." -- Jason H., San Francisco.

6. Dan Gable -- "Of what other man can it be said that he was the greatest athlete and the greatest coach in the sport's history?" -- Chris G., La Crosse, Wis.

5. Don Shula -- "Most victories, helped the NFL become a passing league, and there was that little 'perfect season' thing." -- John R., St. Petersburg, Fla.

4. Red Auerbach -- "Did more for the Victory Cigar than Winston Churchill." -- Matt M., Boston.

3. Scotty Bowman -- "Nine Stanley Cups, including four straight, with three different teams, and all-time leader in regular-season wins, playoff wins and those Stanley Cups." -- Prashanth I., Chapel Hill, N.C.

2. Vince Lombardi -- "Won the first two Super Bowls, what else do you need to know?" -- Rick W., Rochester, Mich.

1. John Wooden -- "As great as his accomplishments on the court, Coach Wooden's impact goes far beyond the game of basketball. He was more teacher than coach." -- Bryan H., Torrance, Calif.

Does anyone else find it odd that Larry Brown made the list and Phil Jackson didn't?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5268871

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

ESPN.com did a poll of the 10 greatest coaches of all time for all sports. The list went:
10. Larry Brown -- "He's been the Johnny Appleseed of basketball, spreading it across the land." -- Tom K., Las Vegas.

9. Bear Bryant -- "The hat, the voice, the success, what else do you want?" -- Billy A., Birmingham, Ala.

8. Casey Stengel -- "The Yankees are not a dynasty without Casey in the dugout, not to mention the Dodgers, [Boston] Braves and Mets." -- Cal S., Brooklyn, N. Y.

7. Bill Walsh -- "Simply the brightest mind that the game has ever known." -- Jason H., San Francisco.

6. Dan Gable -- "Of what other man can it be said that he was the greatest athlete and the greatest coach in the sport's history?" -- Chris G., La Crosse, Wis.

5. Don Shula -- "Most victories, helped the NFL become a passing league, and there was that little 'perfect season' thing." -- John R., St. Petersburg, Fla.

4. Red Auerbach -- "Did more for the Victory Cigar than Winston Churchill." -- Matt M., Boston.

3. Scotty Bowman -- "Nine Stanley Cups, including four straight, with three different teams, and all-time leader in regular-season wins, playoff wins and those Stanley Cups." -- Prashanth I., Chapel Hill, N.C.

2. Vince Lombardi -- "Won the first two Super Bowls, what else do you need to know?" -- Rick W., Rochester, Mich.

1. John Wooden -- "As great as his accomplishments on the court, Coach Wooden's impact goes far beyond the game of basketball. He was more teacher than coach." -- Bryan H., Torrance, Calif.

Does anyone else find it odd that Larry Brown made the list and Phil Jackson didn't?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5268871

I also find it odd your Bill Belichick didn't make the list, might have to do with the cheating allegations.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

ESPN.com did a poll of the 10 greatest coaches of all time for all sports. The list went:
10. Larry Brown -- "He's been the Johnny Appleseed of basketball, spreading it across the land." -- Tom K., Las Vegas.

9. Bear Bryant -- "The hat, the voice, the success, what else do you want?" -- Billy A., Birmingham, Ala.

8. Casey Stengel -- "The Yankees are not a dynasty without Casey in the dugout, not to mention the Dodgers, [Boston] Braves and Mets." -- Cal S., Brooklyn, N. Y.

7. Bill Walsh -- "Simply the brightest mind that the game has ever known." -- Jason H., San Francisco.

6. Dan Gable -- "Of what other man can it be said that he was the greatest athlete and the greatest coach in the sport's history?" -- Chris G., La Crosse, Wis.

5. Don Shula -- "Most victories, helped the NFL become a passing league, and there was that little 'perfect season' thing." -- John R., St. Petersburg, Fla.

4. Red Auerbach -- "Did more for the Victory Cigar than Winston Churchill." -- Matt M., Boston.

3. Scotty Bowman -- "Nine Stanley Cups, including four straight, with three different teams, and all-time leader in regular-season wins, playoff wins and those Stanley Cups." -- Prashanth I., Chapel Hill, N.C.

2. Vince Lombardi -- "Won the first two Super Bowls, what else do you need to know?" -- Rick W., Rochester, Mich.

1. John Wooden -- "As great as his accomplishments on the court, Coach Wooden's impact goes far beyond the game of basketball. He was more teacher than coach." -- Bryan H., Torrance, Calif.

Does anyone else find it odd that Larry Brown made the list and Phil Jackson didn't?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5268871

Nine of those ten make sense, but Larry Brown? Are you kidding me? Phil Jackson's soon to be 11 rings wipes up the floor with Larry Brown's 1 ring and 1 NCAA cmahpionship.

I'd put Phil Jackson at #2 just after Wooden on a list of all sports greatest coaches.

[CZAR]

I may also have a lil beef that Parcells aint on that list! He taught Belichick all he knows. Got Em!!

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

I may also have a lil beef that Parcells aint on that list! He taught Belichick all he knows. Got Em!!

Or Belichick made the defense so good that Parcells could win titles. Belichick has won 3 titles without Parcells, Parcells has never won a title without Belichick. Having a freak like Lawrence Taylor helped too.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Or Belichick made the defense so good that Parcells could win titles. Belichick has won 3 titles without Parcells, Parcells has never won a title without Belichick. Having a freak like Lawrence Taylor helped too.

I dunno. Parcells really never had the talent to win it all in his other coaching jobs. Though he still managed to improve every team he's coached. And not just as a coach. He's improved the Dolphins greatly behind the scenes in his short time there.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Or Belichick made the defense so good that Parcells could win titles. Belichick has won 3 titles without Parcells, Parcells has never won a title without Belichick. Having a freak like Lawrence Taylor helped too.

So are u sayin Belichick is better than Parcells?? Got Em!!

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by CZAR

So are u sayin Belichick is better than Parcells?? Got Em!!

As much as I dislike Belichick I would put him slightly above Parcells on a list of all-time coaches.

[Clark Kent]

Phil Jackson is vastly overrated as a head coach. Give me the three best players to play in the league since 1987 in Kobe, Shaq and Jordan, and I too will win several NBA titles.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Phil Jackson is vastly overrated as a head coach. Give me the three best players to play in the league since 1987 in Kobe, Shaq and Jordan, and I too will win several NBA titles.

No you wouldn't. It takes a master of managing egos to win championships with all-time great players. Most coaches simply would not have been able to keep the mismash of megastars and role players together, much less winning titles the way Phil has done with Chicago and LA. He didn't just luck out in order to win what is soon to be 11 championships.

If you want to go down this road I suppose you also think Auerbach was an average coach. Afterall he did have Russell, Cousy and a mountain of other Hall of Famers on his Celtics teams.