1. Gregg Popovich – Salary $11 Million
1949, in East Chicago, Indiana, to a Serb father and Croat mother, he graduated in 1970 from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Soviet Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence training. The President and the head coach of Basketball operation for Spurs organizations, Gregg have proved his installment for the success story in American NBA history. He is often referred to as Coach Pop and considered one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time. He took part over the Spurs in 1966 and the longest-tenured active coach in both the US major sports league and the NBA. With the Spurs, Gregg has won 5 NBA Championships as a head coach and also won 1,000 NBA games among 9 other coaches.
2. Tom Thibodeau – Salary $10 Million
Tom took his first job in 1981 as an assistant coaching staff for the Vikings and then he got promoted to head coach at Salem State University in 1984. Before accepting the job for the Timberwolves in 1989, he spent four seasons at Harvard University as an Assistant coach. In recent times, Tom is highly regarded as “one the best coach in NBA”, where he helped New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, 76ers. Boston Celtics, Spurs, and Bulls for several years, in innovating offensive sets, improving defensive strategy and player’s development skills. On April 20, 2016, Thibodeau signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and agreed to terms becoming the head coach and president of basketball operations for the team.
3. Doc Rivers – Salary $10 Million
Glenn ‘Doc’ Rivers began his coaching career in 1999 with the Orlando Magic, whom he coached for four seasons and took home the Coach of the Year award in 2000. He was sacked following a lackluster start for the Magic in 2003-04. As a former NBA player, Rivers was best known for his defense. He is the current head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the L.A. Clippers. In 2013, the Clippers acquired Rivers from the Celtics for an unprotected 2015 NBA first-round draft pick. He also became the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations on the team and led the Clippers to a franchise-record 57 wins.
4. Scott Brooks – Salary $7 Million
Scott is a former NBA player who appeared in 680 regular seasons with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Houston, New York, Lakers and Cleveland. He was with the Lakers for 11 years during the time from 1988 to 1999. He started his career with Denver Nuggets where he helped the team as an assistant from2003 to 2006. He also served his 2006-07 season as an assistant coach with the Sacramento, before joining with the Sacramento Kings. Brooks was named interim head coach of the Thunder in 2008-09 season. In 2009, the Thunder named him the head coach.
5. Rick Carlisle – Salary $7 Million
Carlisle is also known as one of the best coaches in the world as well as a president of the coaches Association. Now he is the head coach of Dallas Mavericks, he also served as head coach of the Pistons and Pacers. He is also a retired NBA player. Carlisle is also among the eleven people to win NBA championship both as a coach and as a player.
6. Dwane Casey – Salary $7 Million
Dwane Casey served the 2008-09 NBA season for the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach and won their first NBA Championship with the Mavericks in 2011. In 2014, he managed to set a new record for most wins in one season, as the head coach during his third season with the raptors and also won an Atlantic Division Championship. 2014, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Raptors and became the first Raptors coach to reach 200 wins with the franchise in 2016, and ultimately agreed to a one more contract extension. The Pistons hired the former Toronto Raptors coach a couple of weeks into the start of the 2018-19 NBA season. The contract is reportedly a five-year deal averaging $7 million per season.
7. Billy Donovan – Salary $6 Million
Billy is best recognized for achieving more game wins than other coaches in the history of the Florida basketball program. He served and coached the Gators to many NCAA tournament appearances, wins, and Southeastern Conference championship than every other coach in program history combined.
In 2006-07 season, Billy made his name as the coach for the Florida Gators and they have won back to back NCAA Championship. With the Oklahoma City Thunder, Billy got his first current gig, where it was worth $30 Million over 5 seasons (the contracts will end after 2019-20 season). During the time of his own college career, he was considered as a defensive specialist and he also mentored players like Joakim Noah and Al Horford in the college.
8. Steve Kerr – Salary $6 Million
Steve Kerr is now charged for Golden State Warriors in his fifth season, and already Kerr has piloted the Warriors to three championships, come 48 minutes away from a fourth, helped to gain the best regular season in the NBA history. Kerr’s average salary goes around $5 million per year with a $25-million-dollar deal which just ended this year.
Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN posted online back in the summer is that the Warrior and Kerr made a shared contract extension for this 2019-20 season. Kerr was paid an above-average salary by league standards before, but this new deal will catapult him into top-5 territory apparently.
9. Terry Stotts – Salary – $5 Million
Playing career in CBA and Europe, Terry played for George Karl, he also became a part of Karl’s coaching staff on several teams in the CBA as well as in the NBA. In 2002, Terry joined the Hawks as an assistant coach, and later he got promoted as a head coach. He also becomes the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks later on, as well as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks when they won the NBA title, in 2010-12 season. The Portland Blazers hired Stotts as their head coach in 2012, and in 2016, Stotts agreed on a contract extension with the Blazers. The Blazers agreed on a contract extension with head coach Terry Stotts that runs through 2020 with an average salary of $5 million following their 2015-16 season.
10. Luke Walton – Salary – $5 Million
Luke played 10 seasons in the NBA as a forward with the Lakers and later won NBA championship with the Warriors as an assistant coach. His first coaching experience was with the University of Memphis, while his NBA coaching career started with the Golden State Warriors. As the Warriors’ interim head coach in 2015-16, he led the team to the longest winning streak to open a season in league history. In 2016, Walton signed a five-year deal worth $25 million with the Lakers and became their new head coach. Walton married long-time girlfriend Bre Ladd.
