For the second straight offseason, Erik Spoelstra of the Heat is the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA.
Spoelstra took over the top spot on our list when Gregg Popovich announced his retirement in May 2025. Popovich had been head coach of the Spurs for nearly three decades.
Spoelstra has won two championships and has made six total NBA Finals appearances since he took over as Miami’s head coach in 2008. He will also be the head coach for Team USA during the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Five of the NBA’s 11 longest-tenured head coaches have been replaced since we checked in last summer, with Billy Donovan of the Bulls (September 2020), Chauncey Billups of the Trail Blazers (June 2021), Jason Kidd of the Mavericks, Jamahl Mosely of the Magic (July 2021) and Willie Green of the Pelicans (July 2021) all parting ways with their respective teams.
Mosley was the only coach of the group to find a new head coaching job this offseason, having joined the Pelicans on a five-year contract. Donovan will be the new top assistant in San Antonio, while Green is expected to join Dallas as the lead assistant.
The total number of coaching changes in the past year – six – isn’t abnormally high, but it’s unusual for us to be removing so many names at the top of our list. The final coaching change came in Milwaukee, where former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins replaced Doc Rivers as the top coach of the Bucks.
Here’s the current breakdown of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches by team:
Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
Tyronn Lue, Clippers: October 2020
Mark Daigneault, Thunder: November 2020
Chris Finch, Timberwolves: February 2021
Rick Carlisle, Pacers: June 24, 2021
Will Hardy, Jazz: June 2022
Joe Mazzulla, Celtics: September 2022
Mazzulla became the Celtics’ interim head coach in September 2022 and was named the permanent head coach in February 2023.
Quin Snyder, Hawks: February 2023
Ime Udoka, Rockets: April 2023
Nick Nurse, Sixers: June 1, 2023
Darko Rajakovic, Raptors: June 13, 2023
Brian Keefe, Wizards: January 25, 2024
Keefe became the Wizards’ interim head coach in January 2024 and was named the permanent head coach in May 2024.
Jordi Fernandez, Nets: April 2024
Charles Lee, Hornets: May 2024
J.J. Redick, Lakers: June 24, 2024
Kenny Atkinson, Cavaliers: June 28, 2024
J.B. Bickerstaff, Pistons: July 2024
Mitch Johnson, Spurs: November 2024
Johnson took over as the Spurs’ acting head coach in November 2024 after Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke; he was named the permanent head coach in May 2025 when Popovich stepped down from the position.
Doug Christie, Kings: December 2024
Christie became the Kings’ interim head coach in December 2024 and was named the permanent head coach in May 2025.
Tuomas Iisalo, Grizzlies: March 2025
Iisalo became the Grizzlies’ interim head coach in March 2025 and was named the permanent head coach in May 2025.
David Adelman, Nuggets: April 2025
Adelman became the Nuggets’ interim head coach in April 2025 and was named the permanent head coach in May 2025.
Jordan Ott, Suns: June 2025
Mike Brown, Knicks: July 2025
Taylor Jenkins, Bucks: April 30, 2026
Jamahl Mosley, Pelicans: May 18, 2026
Sean Sweeney, Magic: June 1, 2026
Tiago Splitter, Bulls: June 16, 2026
Micah Nori, Trail Blazers: June 23, 2026
Dusty May, Mavericks: June 23, 2026
Dallas announced the hiring of May mere hours after Portland did the same with Nori.
There’s a six-year gap between Spoelstra and second-place Kerr, who has won four titles with Golden State. Incredibly, the gap of six-plus years between Kerr and third-place Lue is larger than five-plus year gap between Lue and May, the head coach most recently hired.