Who are the highest paid coaches in the NBA? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Having stars on the court is a great way to succeed in the NBA, but bragging about having an elite coach is just as essential.
There are only a handful of these coaches who roam the league’s baselines, but these tacticians earn considerable pay for their duties.
The last to win a big bag was Monty Williams, who was reportedly hired by the Detroit Pistons on a lucrative deal after his release from the Phoenix Suns.
But how much does Williams earn? Here is an overview of the highest paid coaches in the NBA:
Who are the highest paid coaches in the NBA?
Contrary to nba player salaries, staff salaries are not as widely reported or available. In 2021, Sportico published a list of the highest paid coaches in American sports, and seven of them were in the NBA. However, four of them were let go in the 2022-23 campaign: Steve Nash (Nets), Doc Rivers (76ers), Mike Budenholzer (Bucks) and Nick Nurse (Raptors).
After the latest turnover and hiring reported by Williams, let’s take a look at some of the highest paid coaches:
1. Monty Williams, Detroit Pistons: $13.05 million
Williams’ new contract with Detroit is worth $78.5 million over six years, Athletic’s Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III reported, citing sources, Wednesday. That would mean Williams’ average salary is $13.05 million, but that doesn’t take into account how incentives could bump the contract up to $100 million over eight years. Williams has the luxury of having time to develop a young Pistons said while being paid handsomely for his services.
Coach Pop held the top spot for quite a while, and with good reason. He is one of the most successful coaches of all time, having won five NBA titles, three Coach of the Year awards and helped Spurs to 22 consecutive playoff berths from 1998 to 2019.
Kerr also cemented his legacy as an NBA coach following his successful playing career. Since joining the Warriors As head coach in 2014, he helped the team win four NBA titles and was named coach of the year in 2016.
4. Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat: $8.5 million
Spoelstra started as a video coordinator with Miami in 1995, who puts together clips to allow the coaching staff to better spot upcoming opponents. In 2008, the Heat made him their head coach, which has so far led to titles in 2012 and 2013. He was also a key figure in Miami’s run to the 2023 NBA Finals, despite being eight seeded.
5. Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers: $7.25 million
Rivers, Budenholzer, Nurse and Nash were all earning north of $8 million before their departures, which puts Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle in fifth place. The 63-year-old signed a four-year contract in 2021 worth one reported 29 million. Carlisle coached the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA title in 2011 and was named coach of the year in 2002 with the Pistons.