-
Brad Stevens – Boston Celtics
I absolutely love Stevens and read as much as I can on him. At 33 years old, Stevens became the second-youngest head coach to make a NCAA National Championship game, losing 61-59 to Duke. The next season in 2010–11, Stevens helped his team make the Final Four, Stevens became the youngest coach to go to two Final Fours. Stevens is known for a calm, focused coaching style. He spends a lot of time analyzing opponents using statistical analysis, adding new wrinkles to his teams play each game. He puts a strong emphasis on defensive and team oriented basketball. Butler’s success against teams with superior athletes has been attributed to Stevens’ coaching style and calm demeanor. Stevens has twice been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year. He hasn’t done much yet in the NBA, but here is what he accomplished in a short time in college.
3× Horizon League champion (2008, 2010, 2011)
2× Horizon Coach of the Year (2009, 2010)
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award (2011)
-
Jeff Hornacek – Phoenix Suns
Hornacek won the NBA Coach of the Month award in December 2013, his first coaching honor, after leading the Suns to a 10-3 record during the month. Hornacek also became the third former NBA player to win both Player of the Month and Coach of the Month awards (after Larry Bird and Larry Drew), and the first coach to receive both awards with the same team. The Suns improved by 23 victories upon the previous season’s record, which led to a 48-34 record in Hornacek’s first season as a head coach. Despite the improvement, the Suns still missed the playoffs and Hornacek was the runner-up coach in the NBA Coach of the Year Award voting to three time winner Gregg Popovich. Jeff did this by running and gunning his way to victory after victory.
Here are some other coaches that I considered to be in the top 10, they just missed out.
-
Lionel Hollins – Brooklyn Nets
Hollins led the Grizzlies to the playoffs year after year and now plans on doing the same with the Nets. In the lockout-shortened 2011–12 NBA season, Hollins’ Grizzlies finished the season with a 41–25 record and the best winning percentage in franchise history (.621).
-
Terry Stotts – Portland Trailblazers
In Stotts’ second season with the Trail Blazers, he coached the team to an overall record of 54-28. They beat the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs with a buzzer beater three point shot by Damian Lillard, to advance to the second round. Though they fell short to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the second round ultimately losing in five games 4-1.
-
Steve Clifford – Charlotte Hornets
Clifford implemented a defensive mentality in Charlotte during his first year as head coach turning the Charlotte Bobcats into a top five defensive team when in the years prior to his tenure they ranked near the bottom of the NBA in that category. He led the Bobcats to the 2014 NBA Playoffs in his first year as head coach, during which he coached the Bobcats to a 43-39 record.
