Top Five NBA Coaches

The National Basketball Association has had a whole lot of very successful coaches in its day, but many of its most famous coaches are now either retired or passed away. There is a now a new era of younger coaches with a lot of basketball smarts who are trying to prove themselves as great leaders of professional players. While many of the coaches are younger, there still some exceptions, and most of them make it into the top five current coaches in the association.

The top five active coaches in the NBA

1. Phil Jackson- This one is an absolute no-brainer. There is no way anyone else belongs above him on this list. Jackson has won 9 NBA titles in his 17 years of coaching, an absolutely amazing statistic in today's very competitive NBA. Jackson has certainly had amazing talent in Jordan, Pippen, Bryant, and O'Neal; but he has done a tremendous job of bringing his teams together throughout the season and having them ready to play their best basketball when it matters most, in the post season.

2. Gregg Popovich- Coach Pop as he is often called by his players, has shown that he is among the best coaches ever because of his intensity and prowess of coaching great defense. The Spurs have won four NBA titles since he has taken over in the late 1990's. Popovich has a great player and coach relationship with his players and that causes them to have a lot of faith in him and his ideas as a coach.

3. Jerry Sloan- Jerry Sloan has never won an NBA title, but he is arguably the best NBA coach ever to not win an NBA title. There is still an outside chance he could win one with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer leading the team in the next few years, but even if he doesn't he will go down as one of the greatest coaches. Sloan's Utah Jazz would have won a couple of title's in the 90's if it weren't for Michael Jordan, the best player the game has ever seen. Sloan's teams play with the best teamwork of any team in the league.

4. Larry Brown- Brown may well be the best tactician and strategist on this list, but his player relations haven't been the best and that sends him lower on the list. Brown most recently won a title with the Pistons, but had a very difficult stretch with the Knicks. Brown seems to wander around the NBA constantly, so his players know he isn't terribly loyal, which can hurt. A great basketball mind, but a bit of an enigma.

5. Byron Scott- Scott is part of the new movement of younger coaches in the NBA, and he seems to be bringing an amazing change to the Hornets franchise. Chris Paul and David West are a great one-two punch and Scott has shown he can motivate a group very well. Watch for his stock to rise in the coming years.

The top four on this list are all veterans, but the newbies are rising quickly and nipping at their heels. The NBA game is changing, so its up to the best of the best to adapt with it.