Top NBA head coach salary 2021: What do they make annually?

Top NBA head coach salary 2021: What do they make annually?

What is the salary of an NBA coach? It is hard to think of a more delicate position than an NBA head coach, who wins at the whims of his players. He is responsible for training and ensuring that his team has high morale. For them to achieve that, they have to be rewarded generously. This article looks at the top NBA head coach salary 2021.

NBA head coach salary
Their salary is one of the highest in the managerial field. Photo: @Bsko
Source: Instagram

Managing an NBA team is one of the most challenging jobs. The job comes with so much pressure and responsibility on the manager's shoulder, but again, the immense pressure comes with lots of money. The NBA head coach salary is one of the highest in the managerial field. This article has it all.

Highest NBA head coach salary list

NBA head coach pay is based on his popularity, market value, and the amount the club wants to spend on the services. However, the average NBA head coach salary is approximately $3 million. This article has a list of the top earners in this field.

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1. Gregg Popovich: $11 Million

NBA head coach salary
Gregg bagged 3 coach of the year awards. Photo: @Popovich
Source: Instagram

Who is the highest-paid NBA head coach? Gregg is one of the most successful coaches in the NBA and the highest-paid. Gregg took charge of Spurs in 1996, and he is still going strong.

2. Doc Rivers: $10 Million

NBA head coach salary
Rivers currently works for the Philadelphia 76ers. Photo: @Doc
Source: Instagram

Rivers joined the LA Clippers in 2013. Before becoming head of the Orlando Magic team, Rivers played 13 seasons of the NBA league till 1999. Doc Rivers currently works for the Philadelphia 76ers.

3. Steve Kerr: $8.7 million

NBA head coach salary
Kerr has had as many as eight rings, five of which he has won as a Chicago Bulls player. Photo: @Kerr
Source: Instagram

Kerr is an American professional basketball trainer and former player. A legend in his own right, Steve Kerr has had as many as eight rings, five of which he has won as a Chicago Bulls player. Kerr has played under some of the best coaches in NBA history, such as Phil Jackson and Pop, and players often praise his approach to managing people and his knowledge of the game.

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4. Rick Carlisle: $8 Million

NBA head coach salary
Rick was named as a coach of the year in 2002. Photo: @Rick
Source: Instagram

Rick Carlisle is a player who earned an NBA title both as a trainer and player. He is the second-longest serving trainer currently in the league. He was named as a coach of the year in 2002 for leading his team, the Detroit Pistons, to fifty wins.

5. Nick Nurse: $8M

NBA head coach salary
Trainer of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. Photo: @Nick
Source: Instagram

Nicholas David Nurse is an American professional basketball coach. He is the head trainer of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association and the Canadian men's national team. Nurse has done a fabulous job for a franchise that few big-ticket-free agents put on their list of desired destinations.

6. Scott Brooks: $7M

NBA head coach salary
Scott manages the Washington Wizards. Photo: @Brooks
Source: Instagram

Brooks was appointed as the Wizards head coach in 2016 from OKC. Scott Brooks is not only an excellent trainer, but he was equally good as a player. Presently, he manages the Washington Wizards.

7. Dwayne Casey: $7M

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NBA head coach salary
Casey first worked as a trainer in Japan. Photo: @Dwayne
Source: Instagram

Casey is an American basketball coach who is the head of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. Casey first worked as a head trainer in Japan, where he effectively led multiple Japanese Football teams. After his return to the US, Casey was appointed as an assistant trainer for the Sonics from 1994 till 2004.

8. Tyronn Lue: $7M

NBA head coach salary
Lue has an excellent reputation for relating to the players without being controlled. Photo: @Lue
Source: Instagram

Tyronn is a head trainer of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association.

9. Mike Krzyzewski: $7M

NBA head coach salary
He assisted Duke University to win five NCAA championships. Photo: @Mike
Source: Instagram

Michael William Krzyzewski is the head men's basketball coach at Duke University. Since 1980, he has led the Blue Devils to five NCAA Division I titles, 12 Final Fours, 15 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament championships, and 12 ACC regular-season titles.

10. Billy Donovan: $6M

NBA head coach salary
He signed for Chicago Bulls in 2020. Photo: @Billy
Source: Instagram

Donovan has managed multiple teams during his managerial career. Billy is highly regarding for his defensive tactics. He has coached players like Al Horford and Joakim Noah.

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Top 25 highest paid college coaches and their salaries 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions asked about the NBA coaches and their pay. Keep reading to learn more!

Who is the lowest-paid NBA coach?

Budenholzer was the assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich and was then head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks. Besides, he was voted the Coach of the Year 2018-2019.

Why do coaches make less than players?

Coaching requires understanding the skills of individual sportspeople and positioning them on the field correctly. Sportspeople receive heavy attention from the fans and help sell the merchandise to them. As a result, trainers receive less attention from the media and get paid less.

Do NBA owners make money?

Owners of NBA teams report earnings around $12-30 million per season.

Above is every detail you would love to know about the NBA head coach salary. However, their pay depends on many factors, such as their experience, skills, and competence.

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READ ALSO: SA Government Can’t Pay Olympic Athletes Bonuses, Mzansi Raises the Cash Instead

In other news, Briefly.co.za reported on August 10, 2021 how the SA Government can't pay the Olympic athletes' bonuses.

Tatjana Schoenmaker and Bianca Buitendag are the only athletes from Team SA to have won medals in this year's Tokyo Olympics. Why were they not paid? What happened thereafter? Find out that here!

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Bennett Yates avatar

Bennett Yates (Lifestyle writer) Bennett Yates is a content creator with over five years of working experience in journalism and copywriting. He graduated from the University of Nairobi (2017) with a Bachelor's in Information Technology. In 2023, Bennett finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. He started working for Briefly in 2019. You can reach him via email at bennetyates@gmail.com.