Kenny Atkinson is the favorite to win Coach of the Year in 2025
Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors is the top contender to win Coach of the Year
Mark Daigneault won Coach of the Year in 2024
Week 3 of the NBA regular season is up, and the Eastern and Western Conference tiers are beginning to take shape. One coach stands above the rest with his incredible success, while a reshuffling has occurred among the top contenders. At WSN, we're locked in on the race for the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year, offering the latest odds, predictions, and analyses for the 2024-25 NBA season!
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Still undefeated, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is the favorite to win Coach of the Year in 2025. Steve Kerr and Mike Budenholzer are tied as the top contenders to Atkinson as their teams fight for the top spot in the West. And rounding out the group of contenders are Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and 2024 Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault.
From afar, it could be challenging to pick Mazzulla over Atkinson at this early phase of the season. Despite Cleveland’s unprecedented success, Mazzulla’s standard for success and consistency projects well for Boston’s season. The Celtics may not be undefeated, but they’ve dealt with a demanding opening schedule, and their players are firing on all cylinders going into the fourth week of the regular season.
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Who Is the Favorite to Win NBA Coach of the Year in 2025?
Kenny Atkinson - Cleveland Cavaliers (+150) at Caesars
Team
Year
Record
Off Rtg
Def Rtg
Pace
CLE
2024-25
12-0, 1st in NBA Eastern Conference
121.7 (1st of 30)
109.8 (7th of 30
100.6 (8th of 30)
Last Week: def. MIL, NOP, GSW, BKN
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on fire to start the season, undefeated through 12 games. They dispatched three bottom-feeding teams last week, but earned an impressive victory over the Golden State Warriors. As always, their offense has been unstoppable, averaging 122.0 points through last week while hitting 16.0 threes per game on 45.1% from the field.
Who Are the Contenders for the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year Award?
Steve Kerr - Golden State Warriors (+650) at Caesars
Team
Year
Record
Off Rtg
Def Rtg
Pace
GSW
2024-25
8-2, 3rd in NBA Western Conference
120.1 (3rd of 30)
108.3 (5th of 30)
100.0 (9th of 30)
Last Week: def. WAS, BOS, OKC
The Golden State Warriors look inspired through their first 12 regular season games. They went 3-1 last week, losing to the Cavalier, but bouncing back for a victory over Western Conference rivals the Oklahoma City Thunder. They won their games last week by a 10.0-point margin, offset by a 19-point loss to Cleveland. The quality of their competition wasn’t high, but give Mark Daigneault credit for keeping his team focused through four straight games on the road.
Mike Budenholzer has his Phoenix Suns performing at a high level despite losing their first game after seven straight victories. They struggled on the defensive end last week, allowing 117.0 points per game on 47.4% shooting, while they won by a margin of 2.0 points in their three victories. They lost their last game of the week against the Kings with Durant out of the lineup, so how they fare without him will be telling of their chances as the schedule develops.
The Boston Celtics survived their road-heavy open to the season and took care of business in Week 3. However, they didn’t face the most challenging competition and faltered when faced with one of the league’s elite, the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics have only faced two teams that have been consistently above .500 this season, so how they adjust against improved competition tells of Joe Mazzulla’s season.
Who is the Dark Horse to Win 2025 NBA Coach of the Year?
Mark Daigneault - Oklahoma City Thunder (+2000) at Caesars
Team
Year
Record
Off Rtg
Def Rtg
Pace
OKC
2024-25
9-2, 1st in NBA Western Conference
114.7 (11th of 30
102.8 (1st of 30)
102.3 (5th of 30)
Last Week: def. ORL, HOU
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the standard in the Western Conference, and reigning 2024 Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault, has been central to their success. Despite their top ranking in the West, the Thunder dropped games to key Western Conference rivals, such as the Warriors and the Nuggets. They’ll now have to overcome an injury to Chet Holmgren that projects to keep him out for 8-10 weeks. Keep an eye on Oklahoma City to see if they can fight off their competitors for the first seed in the West.
Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault won the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year award. It was his first time winning the award and the second time a Thunder head coach has won it.
Daigneault helped the Thunder to their best season in ten years, winning first in the Western Conference and reaching as far as the Western Conference Semifinals during the NBA Playoffs. One of the league’s most versatile teams, the Daigneault’s Thunder were third in offense and fourth in defense. Most notably, Daigneault unlocked the MVP-worthy potential of guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, runner-up in the 2024 NBA MVP race.
Voting for the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year was heavily in favor of Daigneault. He amassed 473 total points behind 89 first-place votes, nine second-place votes, and one third-place vote. His closest competitor was Jamahl Mosley, who accumulated 158 points in the voting process.
When Will the NBA Coach of the Year Be Announced?
The NBA Coach of the Year winner is expected to be named in mid-to-late June during the NBA Playoffs. There is no set date for when the winner will be announced, but it is usually made public during a broadcast of Inside the NBA.
How Is the NBA Coach of the Year Selected?
A panel of sportswriters from the United States and Canada vote for the eventual Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for their first, second, and third place selections - each vote is worth five, three, and one point, respectively. The coach who receives the highest point total, regardless of first-place votes, is named the NBA Coach of the Year!
Does the NBA Coach of the Year Receive a Prize?
The NBA Coach of the Year receives the Red Auerbach Trophy. The trophy was named in honor of the legendary Boston Celtics coach who led his team to nine NBA championships between 1956 and 1966.
Who Has Won NBA Coach of the Year Multiple Times?
There have been ten coaches to win Coach of the Year multiple times. Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Gregg Popovich lead all winners with three Coach of the Year trophies each. Beyond them, seven players have won the award twice.
How Many NBA Coach of the Year Winners Are in the Basketball Hall of Fame?
The NBA Coach of the Year Award tends to signify a coach who will go on to enjoy a long NBA career. With enough sustained success, great coaches will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. There have been 12 NBA Coach of the Year winners who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame: Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Bill Fitch, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Sharman, Red Holzman, Red Auerbach, and Alex Hannum.
Has a Non-American Coach Ever Won Coach of the Year?
Every NBA Coach of the Year Award winner has been American. However, two-time Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni, although born in the United States, holds dual citizenship between the United States and Italy.
Which Team Has Never Produced a Coach of the Year Winner?
In current NBA history, there are only three teams that have not produced an NBA Coach of the Year winner: Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, and LA Clippers.
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Christian Jope is a writer, social media strategist, and data analyst. A Queen’s University Alumni, Christian is an author and social media strategist with Raptors Cage, while also working closely with MLSE and Canada Basketball through community-driven events.
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