Top 5 NBA Coaches of All Time

Putting together a list of the top five NBA Coaches of all time is hard to do. The order can be debated and the eras in which the Coaches manned the courts can be argued. Collectively, my top five coaches have coached 29 teams to championships. I added one coach who has not won a championship yet. The Coaches run the spectrum of eras. Phil Jackson now and the 90s, Red Auerbach in the 50s and 60s at Boston, Riley with the Lakers in the 80s and Kundla in the 40s and 50s. A list literally covering the NBBA from the late 40s to now. Phil Jackson and Don Nelson are still active and could easily add to their records before their careers are over.

1) Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson is still coaching so his numbers will increase. Phil Jackson's teams have won 10 Championships more than any other coach verified by NBAUniverse.com. Phil has 1026 wins and 431 losses and a .704 winning percentage. Phil Jackson coached the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls and Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles Lakers.

2) Red Auerbach

Red Auerbach would be on the top of many folks list. He led the Boston Celtics to nine championships in the mid 50's and the 60's. Red compiled a 938-479 record for his career.

3) Pat Riley

Pat Riley has won 5 NBA Championship. Pat's coaching record stands at 1210-694. Riley coached the legendary Lakers teams featuring Kaeem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

4) Don Nelson

Don Nelson is probably the best NBA coach not to have won an NBA Championship ring. Don Nelson has amassed 1301 wins and has had 996 losses along the way. Don Nelson is still coaching so he will achieve more wins and still has the possibility of coaching a team to the NBA Finals.

5) John Kundla

John Kundla coached in a different era. Kundla's record looks modest with only 423 wins and 302 losses. John did not make the list for his record. He made the list because he has won 5 NBA championships. John probably coached in a time where the schedules were probably shorter than in the league today.

Sources:

NBA Universe

Stats NBA.com