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Ten Highest Paid NBA Coaches in 2023

The highest paid NBA coaches are as lucky as their NFL counterparts. NBA coaches earn good money, and at one stage was the only league where the average coaches salary was more than the players. 

Highest Paid NBA Coaches

Let’s take a look at the top ten NBA coaching salaries in 2023 and why they’re paid so much.

10. Tyronn Lue – Los Angeles Clippers ($6.5 million)

The cool, calm and collected Tyronn Lue won two NBA championships as a player with the Lakers, and then one as the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in his first season as a coach in 2016.

Lue then led the same team to the NBA Finals in the 2016–17 and in 2017–18 seasons, but were defeated by the Golden State Warriors on both occasions.

He became the head coach of the Clippers in 2019 and led them to their first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history. He’s known to to be able to get the most out of his players whilst empowering them to be themselves in his own system. 

9. Rick Carlisle – Indiana Pacers ($7.25 million)

Rick Carlisle is another coach who has won an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach. As a pro player, Carlisle played for the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and the Boston Celtics, where he won an NBA championship in 1986.

He started his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Nets, Blazers, and Pacers. Carlisle became Detroit Pistons head coach in 2001 and then returned to Indiana to coach the Pacers. In 2008 he replaced Avery Johnson as the Maverick’s head coach and won an NBA championship with the team in 2011.

Carlsle stepped down as head coach of Dallas in 2021 and then was hired by the Pacers again. He’s known for his ability to make the right adjustments at the right times, and is one of the highest paid NBA coaches. 

8. Jason Kidd – Dallas Mavericks ($8 million)

Jason Kidd is regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time and he’s one of the highest paid NBA coaches to match. During his playing days, he won an NBA championship with the Mavericks, was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team, nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team and NBA Rookie of the Year in 1995.

Kidd became the head coach of the Nets in 2013, then with the Bucks, and then won an NBA championship in 2020 as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was reunited with the Dallas Mavericks in 2021 and led them to the Western Conference Finals in his first season. 

7. Steve Nash – Brooklyn Nets ($8 million)

Steve Nash played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was a two-time MVP, an eight-time All-Star, and a seven-time All-NBA selection. He’s one of the best players never to win an NBA championship.

His playing experience and legacy was enough to earn himself the head coach role at the Brooklyn Nets in 2020. Unfortunately for Nash it was a disappointing stint considering the level of talent at his disposal. 

Nash was let go following a poor start to the 2022-23 season but despite being let go he signed a four year, $8 million per year deal back in 2020.

6. Nick Nurse – Toronto Raptors ($8 million)

Nick Nurse doesn’t have the pro player experience like some of the other highest paid NBA coaches, but he’s still built himself into one of the best defensive schemers in the league. He became an assistant coach at Northern Iowa as soon as he finished his college playing career in 1989.

Nurse then coached for 11 seasons in Europe mostly in England, after becoming the youngest college basketball head coach at only 23 years of age for Grand View University. 

After coaching multiple teams in the D-League, Nurse joined the Raptors as an assistant coach in 2013, becoming head coach in 2019 and winning an NBA championship in his first season in charge.

5. Mike Budenholzer – Milwaukee Bucks ($8 million)

From 1996 “Coach Bud” was Gregg Popovich’s assistant coach at the San Antonio Spurs for 17 years, and was a part of four championship winning seasons during the Tim Duncan era. Budenholzer scored his first coaching job as coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2018.

Budenholzer then joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, helping to change the teams culture and leading the franchise to their second ever championship in 2021.

He’s been named NBA Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2019. Budenholzer is one of the highest paid NBA coaches, although some view him as an underachiever in the playoffs and not being able to make the right adjustments during postseason play. 

4. Erik Spoelstra – Miami Heat ($8.5 million)

Erik Spoelstra started boxing shoes at a Nike warehouse before spending a few seasons in Germany’s second division as a player-assistant coach at TuS Herten in 1993.

He started coaching the club’s local youth team before accepting a role as video coordinator with the Miami Heat in 1995. Two years later he would serve as an assistant coach with the Heat until being named head coach in 2008.

Spoelstra became the first Asian-American head coach in major sports history. Following the addition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010, he led the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances between 2011 and 2014, going on to win two of those. 

He came close again in 2020, his fifth NBA Finals appearance, but was defeated by LeBron’s Lakers. Spoelstra is one of the best defensive coaches in the league, which is why he’s one of the highest paid NBA coaches. It seems he’s worth it too, with NBA GMs voting him as the league’s best coach for two years running.  

3. Doc Rivers – Philadelphia 76ers ($8.5 million)

Doc Rivers played for the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs during his professional playing career. He was also an All-Star in 1988.

He began his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999, finishing the season with the Coach of the Year award after leading the Magic close to a playoff berth.

Rivers went on to Boston where he won a championship in 2008, then onto the Clippers, and more recently with the Philadelphia 76ers. He is undoubtedly one of the most sought after names in the league and one of the highest paid NBA coaches. 

One of his strong points has always been his leadership which he’s been able to build into one of the best coaching reputations in the NBA. A criticism from fans is the trend of his teams constantly blowing double-digit leads.

2. Steve Kerr – Golden State Warriors ($9.5 million)

Steve Kerr is a serial winner, both as a player and as a coach. Kerr is nine-time NBA champion, having won five titles as a player. He won three of them alongside the best NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan, and another two under Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs.

He announced his retirement as a player in 2003 and following broadcast roles and a stint as President and GM of the Phoenix Suns, Kerr became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2014.

Kerr signed a deal worth $25 million over five years – about half of what he’s on today. He’s totally transformed the Warriors with his motion offense philosophy based on the principles of Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson, who he both played for in his playing career. 

It’s easy to see why Kerr is one of the highest paid NBA coaches, earning four NBA championships with the Warriors. His easily one of the greatest coaches of all time and almost unbeatable in the playoffs.  

1. Gregg Popovich – San Antonio Spurs ($11.5 million)

Deservedly, the highest paid NBA coach is “Coach Pop”, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. Popovich is one of the most successful coaches of all time, having won five NBA titles with the Spurs.

He’s a three-time Coach of the Year and guided the Spurs to a remarkable 22 consecutive playoff appearances between 1998 and 2019.

Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1988 and then the Warriors in 1992, both as an assistant coach after head coach roles in college. In 1994 he became General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Spurs before becoming head coach in 1996.

He remains in the conversation for best coach of all time, and has seen success during his career despite the league always evolving around him. Popovich has been able to build offensive and defensive systems that maximizes the strengths of whatever roster he has.

Coach Pop somehow turns role players into stars, getting the best of his players all while remaining down to earth.

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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