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Below you’ll find the estimated average yearly salaries for most of the head coaches in the NBA. Teams rarely disclose the exact amount that they pay their coaches, but sometimes they do make the base salary figure available. We’ve compiled as many as we could find, listed in order of highest to lowest paid.
Sources range from team releases themselves to reports on Twitter (from respected journalists only), however, we cannot guarantee their accuracy.
Gregg Popovich is currently the highest-paid coach in the league, but keep in mind that he is technically both the head coach and president of the Spurs, so his salary considers his duties for both positions. With the success Pop has had in San Antonio, he deserves every penny.
At this time we are unable to locate approximate salaries for Nate McMillan (Pacers), Earl Watson (Suns), Mike Malone (Nuggets), and Quin Snyder (Jazz).
List of NBA Head Coach Salaries from Highest to Lowest Paid
Even Average and Low-End NBA Head Coaches Make Out Better Than Most
Looking at the list above there are some surprises. Detroit is paying Van Gundy top money but he hasn’t returned the results they are looking for. Big money lured Fred Hoiberg away from Iowa State and yet that franchise has gone from contender to not even making the playoffs.
Steve Kerr looks like a solid deal, and I also like the job Erik Spoelstra and Brad Stevens have done on the breadcrumbs their franchise has given them. I’d expect those three to command major pay raises when it comes time to talk extension.
Even an average head coach is doing alright. The median stands at around $3.5 million per season. The lowest-paid head coach pulls in $2 million. Not bad when you play 82 games a year. That’s about $25,000 per game.
Check out how much coaches in other sports make:
