Almost every coach in the NBA today has played basketball at the NBA level or at least college. So today, we will look at where each coach in the current NBA ranked as a player.
For some of the coaches who had less than stellar playing careers, the bottom of this list will be much closer than many expect. Greatness on the court is not always equal to greatness on the sideline, as you will see quickly as we get into the rankings.
NBA coaches for what they do on the court or ranking the best players of all time. One thing that is often overlooked is how many players (great or not) end up coaching basketball at the highest level. Bill Russell won titles as a player and a coach, doing both at the same time. Larry Bird went on to a successful coaching career. Phil Jackson, considered by many to be the best coach of all time, won his first ring as a player for the New York Knicks in the 1970s.</p>
<p>Almost every coach in the NBA today has played basketball at the NBA level or at least college. So today, we will look at where each coach in the current NBA ranked as a player.</p>
<h2>Which current NBA head coach had the greatest playing career?</h2>
<p>For some of the coaches who had less than stellar playing careers, the bottom of this list will be much closer than many expect. Greatness on the court is not always equal to greatness on the sideline, as you will see quickly as we get into the rankings.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 30 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427162 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2560,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1313191864.jpeg" alt="Mark Daigneault" width="3200" height="2560" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1313191864.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1313191864-768x614.jpeg 768w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1313191864-600x480.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Mark Daigneault (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 30. Mark Daigneault</h2>
<p>Currently, the youngest head coach in the league, Mark Daigneault, is also the least accomplished player among all the current coaches. Many coaches have played at the collegiate level. Daigneault went to one of the preeminent college basketball programs in the country, joining the Connecticut Huskies in the midst of their run to the National Championship from 2003-2007.</p>
<p>Daigneault was not a star player for the Huskies. In fact, he wasn’t even a player on the team at all. He was the student manager, starting his humble beginnings in the basketball world.</p>
<p>He learned the ropes from the likes of Jim Calhoun and would eventually make his way into various organizations, learning along with the way everything that was needed to become an NBA head coach.</p>
<p>Admittedly, this is an unorthodox path for someone to make it to the height of the profession but so far, the outside-of-the-box hiring is paying dividends. He is taking advantage of the developmental teachings he received going back to his time at UConn and is applying them to one of the youngest teams in the league today in the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/oklahoma-city-thunder/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>. Mark Daigneault is shaping the team in his image and hoping that they can play better than he did.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 29 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427163 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1091,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1294062879.jpeg" alt="Taylor Jenkins" width="1600" height="1091" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1294062879.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1294062879-768x524.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Taylor Jenkins (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 29. Taylor Jenkins</h2>
<p>Taking a step up from the likes of college manager, Taylor Jenkins was an accomplished high school player. He attended a private school in Dallas, Texas and he was the captain of the basketball team. He was the style of player that would have fit into a previous generation of Memphis Grizzlies basketball.</p>
<p>Jenkins was the hardest worker on the team, willing to grit and grind to get his team, St. Mark’s, plenty of victories.</p>
<p>Jenkins went to the University of Pennsylvania, but only played at the intermural level and almost immediately began his path into coaching. This road did not take long, as Jenkins is just the second-youngest coach in the NBA and has already been a part of the league for 12 seasons in some form or fashion.</p>
<p>This hardnosed, grinder attitude has endeared him to his players from the beginning. Showing them that he is the hardest working man in the building goes much further than any sort of collegiate accolades could. Being able to connect with the fans of the Grit’n’Grind Memphis Grizzlies does not hurt matters either.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 28 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427564 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1176,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2021%2F04%2F1266183116.jpeg" alt="Gregg Popovich" width="1600" height="1176" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/04/1266183116.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/04/1266183116-768x564.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Gregg Popovich (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 28. Gregg Popovich</h2>
<p>One of the greatest coaches of all time, Gregg Popovich was far from a celebrated player. Popovich was cut from Merrillville High School as a sophomore but ended up making the team in his junior and senior years. He then went on to the Air Force Academy, where he played four years for the Falcons.</p>
<p>As a senior, Popovich was the captain of the team and led them in scoring (14.3 points per game). Then, during his tour of duty, he represented his country on the National AAU team that toured the Soviet Union. He was captain of the team in 1972 when they won the AAU championship, earning him an invitation to the U.S. Olympic Basketball trials.</p>
<p>That would mark the end of Popovich’s playing career, as he would return to the Academy in 1973 to become an assistant coach and the rest is history. After a few years at the Academy, Pomona-Pfizer and studying under Larry Brown, Popovich found his way to the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/">San Antonio Spurs</a>.</p>
<p>Popovich joined the ball club in 1987 as the lead assistant to Larry Brown until being let go in 1992. He would return to the team in 1994 and has been there ever since.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 27 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427165 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1148,w_1484/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1304302823.jpeg" alt="Frank Vogel" width="1484" height="1148" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304302823.jpeg 1484w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304302823-768x594.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1484px) 100vw, 1484px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1484px;">Frank Vogel. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE.</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 27. Frank Vogel</h2>
<p>The coach of the reigning champions, Frank Vogel, was not much of a player in his own right. He made it all the way to Juniata College in Huntington Pennsylvania, a Division III college, where he was a starter. He would ultimately transfer to the University of Kentucky after his third season where he would become a student manager as well as a member of the junior varsity team.</p>
<p>The jump to Kentucky was also his first step towards a coaching career. When his coach in college, Rick Pitino, took over as the head coach of the Boston Celtics Vogel was brought along as a video coordinator. He worked his way out of the video room to the bench before leaving for stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards before landing with the Indiana Pacers as an assistant. He would ultimately replace his boss, Jim O’Brien, starting his run as a head coach.</p>
<p>Vogel has become well respected for his defensive acumen, mostly accredited to his exemplary video scouting more than anything he did on the court. Frank Vogel is a grinder, willing to work harder than anyone else in the organization, just not on the court.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 26 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427166 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1065,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1300043075.jpeg" alt="Steve Clifford" width="1600" height="1065" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1300043075.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1300043075-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Steve Clifford (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 26. Steve Clifford</h2>
<p>Steve Clifford comes from humble basketball beginnings. He started playing in high school for his father, Gerald, and his North Country Union team. The younger Clifford was a good enough high school player to get recruited to a Division III college. Steve Clifford attended the University of Maine at Farmington where he was a defensive leader. During his junior and senior year, he was the captain of the team and was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year.</p>
<p>After his playing career, Clifford graduated with a degree in special education and went on to a life of coaching and teaching. He began in high school before moving on to assistant coaching stints with five different colleges and four NBA teams. Clifford appeared to be on track to be a journeyman coach who never got a real opportunity.</p>
<p>Clifford has been solid during his time with the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets and Orlando Magic. Much like his playing career he ultimately gets the most out of whatever talent is available to him. He is all about the grind and is a coaches coach through and through, learning from his father’s teaching’s all the way back in high school.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 25 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427167 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2130,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1309974232.jpeg" alt="Nate Bjorkgren" width="3200" height="2130" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309974232.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309974232-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Nate Bjorkgren (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 25. Nate Bjorkgren</h2>
<p>One of the newest coaches in the NBA, Nate Bjorkgren played for two colleges before getting into the coaching profession fresh out of college. He was the star of his high school team, the Storm Lake Tornados, before making his first collegiate stop. He began attending the University of South Dakota, the first Division I player on this list.</p>
<p>Bjorkgren played two seasons for South Dakota before transferring to Buena Vista University, back in his hometown of Storm Lake. During two seasons there, Bjorkgren led his group to the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship for the first time in two decades, which was ultimately the crowning achievement for the hometown kid’s playing career.</p>
<p>Nate Bjorkgren began his coaching career in high school before moving on to the Iowa Energy of the NBA Developmental League (now the G-League), where he was part of the coaching staff that won the D-League title in his final season with the team. The head coach he was working for at the time would ultimately play an even bigger role in the rest of his career. Bjorkgren was one of the lead assistants for Nick Nurse. Much like his protégé, Nurse has been more of a coach than a player. More on him later.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 24 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427168 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1232259225.jpeg" alt="Tom Thibodeau" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232259225.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232259225-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Tom Thibodeau (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 24. Tom Thibodeau</h2>
<p>If Tom Thibodeau played as hard as he screams from the sidelines, he would have been much higher on this list. Thibodeau was certainly a grinder as a player and had a solid career, making it to the Division III level. He played four seasons for Salem State College, being named the captain of the team in his senior season.</p>
<p>During his run at Salem State, the school won consecutive Division III national championships, led by Thibodeau on the court. However, a year after his playing career ended the future defensive guru found himself already on the bench, as an assistant at his alma mater. He was an assistant for three seasons before taking over as the head coach for a single season.</p>
<p>This began his journey as a longtime assistant coach, with stops at Harvard, the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.</p>
<p>After spending two separate stints under coach Jeff Van Gundy, he moved on to be the associate head coach under Doc Rivers. That led to his head coaching stops with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and now – the New York Knicks. Given the amount of work he did on and off the court to get to where he is today, it is easy to understand why he demands so much of his players.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 23 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427169 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1312395160.jpeg" alt="Stan Van Gundy" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312395160.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312395160-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Stan Van Gundy (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 23. Stan Van Gundy</h2>
<p>Imaging Stan Van Gundy playing basketball is rather strange… <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21cE2aUbWB0%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">or is it</a>?. He was a star point guard in high school and was able to go to a Division III college. Van Gundy attended State University of New York, the College at Brockport when he was coached by his father, Bill Van Gundy. During his senior season, he was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the overall State University of New York system.</p>
<p>Van Gundy was always more of a teacher than a player, as evidenced by his dual degree in Physical Education and English. Immediately after his playing career ended he transitioned into coach as an assistant at the University of Vermont. He took over as head coach at Castleton college for three seasons. He then transitioned back to being an assistant, with stops at Canisius, Fordham and Wisconsin (with a stop as the head man at UMass Lowell) before being promoted to the top job at Wisconsin.</p>
<p>He was only given one year at Wisconsin before being fired, even though he was in the midst of a five-year contract. This ended his time in college, as he headed to join the bench of Pat Riley with the Miami Heat. After eight seasons there, he took over as the head coach and has since been the lead man with the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and now the New Orleans Pelicans.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 22 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427170 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2129,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1308996359.jpeg" alt="Michael Malone" width="3200" height="2129" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1308996359.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1308996359-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Michael Malone (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 22. Michael Malone</h2>
<p>Now moving on from a coach whose father coached in college to a coach whose father coached in the NBA, Michael Malone actually played at the Division I level. Malone went to the University of Loyola Maryland. Over the course of a four-year career, he would start 39 games and posted a line of 3.5 points, 2.6 assists and 0.7 steals per game in 18.5 minutes.</p>
<p>It’s clearly a low bar for this level of production to be this close to making it out of the bottom 10 on this list but he has exceeded this level as a coach with the Denver Nuggets. Even as he was playing and completing his degree, Malone had already transitioned into coaching as an assistant in high school.</p>
<p>He would then take assistant jobs at Oakland University, Providence, Manhattan College, the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets and Golden State Warriors. He got a one-year run as the head coach for the Sacramento Kings where he bonded with star DeMarcus Cousins prior to the Kings deciding to move on surprisingly.</p>
<p>Malone has been the coach of the Denver Nuggets since 2015 and has turned the team around. He has also been a consultant for the Serbian National team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 21 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427171 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1310203271.jpeg" alt="Brad Stevens" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1310203271.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1310203271-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Brad Stevens (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 21. Brad Stevens</h2>
<p>From a small town known as Zionsville Indiana, Brad Stevens developed a love for basketball before he even made it to middle school. He was named to the varsity team for his high school, Zionsville Community High School, as a freshman. He finished his high school career as the school’s all-time leader in points per game, total points, assists and steals. He made the all-conference team three times and was the sectional MVP in his senior season.</p>
<p>Stevens attended DePauw University, where he earned four varsity letters and was the captain of the team during his senior season. He averaged more than eight points per game in three of his four seasons and had already picked up coaching during the summers and transitioned immediately after college.</p>
<p>After one year as a volunteer, he became a full-time assistant at Butler University, where he would ultimately take over head coaching duties once then-head coach Todd Lickliter accepted an offer from the University of Iowa. His overall tenure at Butler was a resounding success, losing in the National Championship game in consecutive seasons. He coached the Bulldogs for two more years before surprisingly leaving for the NBA. Despite his prolonged success with the Boston Celtics, fans still have questions, even though they certainly should not.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 20 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427172 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1311730140.jpeg" alt="Stephen Silas" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311730140.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311730140-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Stephen Silas (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 20. Stephen Silas</h2>
<p>Stephen Silas did not get to this point in his life based on the name of his famous father, Paul Silas. The younger Silas put in plenty of work and played four seasons in college at Brown. While he was never a star on the court, getting to the Division I level is enough to get you out of the bottom 10 of this list. He then got on the grind, making himself into a viable coaching candidate for the day that he would ultimately take the same steps that his father did.</p>
<p>After college, Silas took over as the assistant executive director for the National Basketball Retired Players Association before ultimately getting into coaching. Over the last 20 seasons, he has been an assistant coach with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards, the Golden State Warriors, the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets again and the Dallas Mavericks.</p>
<p>He has put in the work, which endears him far more to players than any amount of college playing success could have. This season with the Houston Rockets should not bring that down in any way. Maybe next year he will have a real roster to work with. Fingers crossed.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 19 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427173 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1232116354.jpeg" alt="James Borrego" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232116354.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232116354-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">James Borrego (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 19. James Borrego</h2>
<p>We have another Division I player on the list, although his only noted accomplishment at that level was being named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team as a senior. Over two seasons, he appeared in 15 games and racked up a total of 13 points, 17 rebounds, one assist, four steals and two blocks.</p>
<p>In high school, he helped lead his team, Albuquerque Academy, to two state championships. Coaching was rightfully his ultimate passion and he took over as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of San Diego, while he was in grad school. After a few seasons there, he moved on to the NBA and has never looked back.</p>
<p>He started his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, spending seven seasons under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich. He would make stops with the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans as an assistant (and interim head coach in Orlando) before coming back to the Spurs. Over the last three seasons, he has been the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, initially bringing Tony Parker along with him to ease the transition. It has taken time but one of the more downtrodden franchises in the league is taking the next step with Borrego at the helm.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 18 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427174 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1209392134.jpeg" alt="Dwane Casey" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1209392134.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1209392134-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Dwane Casey (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 18. Dwane Casey</h2>
<p>Dwane Casey is the first person on this list who was considered a top recruit coming out of high school. He made the decision to stay close to home and go to one of the top programs in the country, the University of Kentucky.</p>
<p>Casey was a four-year player there, part of a National Championship-winning team in his junior year. Casey was named a team captain for his senior year and posted career totals of 125 points and 62 assists.</p>
<p>Casey had his first coaching job all the way back in middle school but moved into it as a full-time profession immediately after his playing career when he joined the coaching staff at Kentucky.</p>
<p>After one season there, he took over as the head coach at Western Kentucky University. He would return to Kentucky as an assistant and lead recruiter. This would <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2018/10/15/pistons-dwane-casey-career-built-second-chances/1646838002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ultimately end in scandal, though Casey was ultimately cleared</a>.</p>
<p>Casey then went overseas to begin accruing some head coaching experience, spending time with the Sekisui Chemical and the Isuzu Motors Lynx. Doing well over there allowed him to come back stateside, this time in the NBA. He started as an assistant with the Seattle Supersonics before being named the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. That did not end the way he wanted, landing him back as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks. Success there has led to his stints with the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 17 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427175 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1312729543.jpeg" alt="J.B. Bickerstaff" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312729543.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312729543-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">J.B. Bickerstaff (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 17. J.B. Bickerstaff</h2>
<p>By comparison to the rest of the list thus far, J.B. Bickerstaff was quite the accomplished collegiate athlete. He played two seasons at Oregon State before transferring to Minnesota for the final two seasons of his career. In his final year, he averaged 10.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Unfortunately, this did not result in him making the leap to the professional level.</p>
<p>Three years after his playing career ended, he found himself as the assistant of the Charlotte Bobcats. Since then, he has been an assistant head coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers. He has been an interim coach three times and a head coach twice. He seems to finally be finding his niche, building a defensive unit around young talent that is committed to the grind.</p>
<p>Playing at two Division I schools to any level of success is a clear step that we have finally reached a different portion of this list. No longer are all of the coaches topping out as a high school prodigy or college bench warmer. From now on, this will be coaches who can relate to their players on a different level because they have also played at the highest level.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 16 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427176 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1170,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1270156246.jpeg" alt="Quin Snyder" width="1600" height="1170" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1270156246.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1270156246-768x562.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Quin Snyder (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 16. Quin Snyder</h2>
<p>Quin Snyder is the final coach on this list who did not play at the professional level but came as close to it as possible, being a four-year rotation player at Duke University. In the final two years of that time, Snyder was a full-time starter. Duke made the Final Four in his freshman, junior and senior seasons. Snyder was also named the captain of the team during his senior year.</p>
<p>Snyder went to graduate school at Duke after his playing days and started his assistant coaching career in the NBA with the LA Clippers for a season and then under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. During his tenure on the staff, Duke made two more Final Fours and an Elite Eight. Next came head coaching tenures at the University of Missouri and in the D-League with the Austin Toros. Snyder made his name with the Toros as the winningest coach in the D-League during his tenure and helped develop the most future NBA players.</p>
<p>This would start Snyder’s tour of player development, picking up assistant coaching jobs with the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, CSKA Moscow and Atlanta Hawks for one season at a time. Snyder built his reputation and that led to him getting hired by the Utah Jazz in 2014.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 15 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427177 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1124,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1277673867.jpeg" alt="Erik Spoelstra" width="1600" height="1124" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1277673867.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1277673867-768x540.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Erik Spoelstra (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 15. Erik Spoelstra</h2>
<p>Erik Spoelstra is the first coach on this list to play at the professional level but he got his start at Jesuit High School in Portland, OR. After starring in high school, Spoelstra stayed home and played his collegiate basketball at the University of Portland. He was named the Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 38.6 percent from distance. He would go on to start for four years and had a solid statistical career.</p>
<p>After graduating, Spoelstra went overseas to be the player-assistant coach for Tus Herten in Germany’s Bundesliga. His professional playing career lasted only two seasons after dealing with back injuries limited his on-court capabilities. At this point, he chose to return stateside to take a position with the Miami Heat in 1996 and the rest is history.</p>
<p>Spoelstra started as the video coordinator and worked his way up through the organization. All in all, Spo has served as video coordinator, assistant coach, advanced scout, director of scouting and ultimately – head coach. Spoelstra is the hardest working man in the building and has been the human embodiment of what Heat Culture is, almost as much as Pat Riley. That is the type of continuity that allows for continued excellence.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 14 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427178 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2130,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1304570877.jpeg" alt="Chris Finch" width="3200" height="2130" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304570877.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304570877-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chris Finch (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 14. Chris Finch</h2>
<p>Chris Finch is the newest full-time head coach in the NBA and his path to the league is quite unique. He played college at the Division III level at Franklin & Marshall College and was a two-time Division III All-American. He was an elite defensive player and turned that into a professional career.</p>
<p>Finch moved overseas and played for the Sheffield Forgers of the National Basketball League and was part of the team when they moved to the British Basketball League. After four seasons in the league as a player, he took over as the head coach of the team. He won multiple titles in Britain before moving to the Giessen 46ers in Germany. He was fired after one season and then moved on to the Belgium league as the head coach of Euphony Bree, where he would ultimately win the league title.</p>
<p>After another stop in the Belgium league (Dexia Mons-Hainaut) Finch came back to the States, becoming the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. He led the Vipers to their first playoff appearance and first title in franchise history. He built a reputation as an offensive wizard over assistant/associate coaching tenures with the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 13 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427179 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1091,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1266846876.jpeg" alt="Nick Nurse" width="1600" height="1091" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1266846876.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1266846876-768x524.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Nick Nurse (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 13. Nick Nurse</h2>
<p>Much like his former co-worker we just discussed, Nick Nurse played overseas after college in America. Nurse played at the University of Northern Iowa. He would move into the starting lineup by his senior season and is still the school’s all-time leading 3-point shooter by percentage (46.8 percent) which led to him going over to the British league to play professionally, though he stayed at UNI for one final season as a student assistant to finish his degree.</p>
<p>Getting the taste for coaching, Nurse took over as the player-coach for the Derby Rams for one season. Nurse quickly realized the taste was all he needed to develop a passion and moved on to coaching as his full-time career path.</p>
<p>He started his coaching-only career at Grand View University for two seasons before heading to the University of South Dakota as an assistant for two seasons. He honed his craft overseas, spending the better part of 11 years with the Birmingham Bullets, the Manchester Giants, the London Towers and the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League and Telindus Oostende of the Belgium League.</p>
<p>Nick Nurse then took over in the D-League (eventually the G-League) with the Iowa Energy and Rio Grande Valley Vipers before becoming an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. After the departure of Dwane Casey, Nurse was the obvious successor.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 12 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-410283 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1138,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1271013559.jpeg" alt="Mike Budenholzer" width="1600" height="1138" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1271013559.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1271013559-768x546.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Mike Budenholzer (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 12. Mike Budenholzer</h2>
<p>Mike Budenholzer had a college career that did not seem likely to result in a professional career. He attended Pomona College, a liberal arts school where he was a four-year letterman in both golf and basketball. Not exactly a hotbed for collegiate athletics, Budenholzer was still given an opportunity to pursue his passion. The future Coach of the Year went to Denmark.</p>
<p>Budenholzer spent one season with Vejle Basketball Klub. He was the leading scorer (27.5 points per game) and got his first coaching experience, leading two of the youth teams affiliated with the club. After one season, he finished his playing career after he was offered a position as a video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs.</p>
<p>After two years in that role, he would ascend to assistant coach for a team that would win four championships during his 17 season tenure. He was ultimately given his first chance as a head coach with the Atlanta Hawks, where he would win his first Coach of the Year award. After five mostly successful seasons with the Hawks, the two sides agreed to part ways, resulting in his hiring by the Milwaukee Bucks. Since then, he has won another Coach of the Year award and is doing what he can to win his first title as the lead man.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 11 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427180 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1233,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1269590750.jpeg" alt="Terry Stotts" width="1600" height="1233" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1269590750.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1269590750-768x592.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Terry Stotts (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 11. Terry Stotts</h2>
<p>Terry Stotts had the longest playing career yet on this list and got his start in high school in Indiana. He was a four-year starter at the University of Oklahoma, where he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior. This was good enough for him to be named to All-Big Eight team and made him the first coach drafted by the NBA on this list.</p>
<p>Selected in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 1980, Stotts failed to earn a roster spot and began his career with Squibb Cantu in Italy. He came back to the U.S. to play for the Montana Golden Nuggets of the Continental Basketball Association (where he would meet future boss George Karl). The team folded after three seasons and Stotts went back to Europe to finish his playing career with CB Estudiantes, Etoile de Voiron, Chorale Roanne and Sceaux Basket before calling it a career.</p>
<p>To start his coaching career, Stotts would join the staff of former coach George Karl in the CBA with the Albany Patroons. He spent the next season as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Fury before again joining Karl with the Seattle Supersonics and eventually the Milwaukee Bucks. He got his first head coaching gig 27 games into the 2002-2003 season for the Atlanta Hawks.</p>
<p>After two seasons, he joined the coaching staff with the Golden State Warriors before getting a second chance as a headman with the Milwaukee Bucks. Stotts was let go after his second season, latching on soon after with the Dallas Mavericks. After being part of the staff of the 2011 championship Mavericks, Stotts would get another chance, this time, with the Portland Trail Blazers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 10 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427181 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1234,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1269736177.jpeg" alt="Rick Carlisle" width="1600" height="1234" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1269736177.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1269736177-768x592.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Rick Carlisle (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 10. Rick Carlisle</h2>
<p>Rick Carlisle has become the face of the coaches association, so it’s easy to forget that he was in fact an accomplished player in his own right. He would play two seasons at the University of Maine and then transferred to the University of Virginia. As a senior, Carlisle averaged 11.1 points, 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game and was drafted in the third round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics in 1984.</p>
<p>In three seasons with the Celtics, Carlisle made three NBA Finals appearances and won one championship. He only played 7.9 minutes per game, often limited by injuries. He would then play one season in the CBA for the Albany Patroons before returning to the NBA for a combined 31 games from 1987 to 1990 with the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets.</p>
<p>Unable to continue his playing career due to injuries, Carlisle became an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, staying for five seasons. He then spent the next three seasons as an assistant in Portland before leaving to become an assistant under former teammate Larry Bird with the Indiana Pacers. When Bird stepped down as coach after three seasons together, Carlisle left to become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. He was unexpectedly terminated a couple seasons later and returned to the Pacers as the head coach. He would be ultimately let go there as well before finally landing with the Dallas Mavericks.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 9 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427182 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1454,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1309118343.jpeg" alt="Billy Donovan" width="1600" height="1454" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309118343.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309118343-768x698.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Billy Donovan (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 9. Billy Donovan</h2>
<p>Billy Donovan made the right choice for where to play in college to further his coaching career, attending Providence University to play under Rick Pitino.</p>
<p>In his senior season, he was named to the All-Big East First Team and helped lead Providence to the Final Foul. Donovan averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in his final year which was enough to get him drafted in the third round of the 1987 NBA Draft.</p>
<p>Donovan played three professional seasons, two in the CBA and one in the NBA. His two CBA seasons came with the Wyoming Wildcatters and the Rapid City Thrillers. Donovan played one season with the New York Knicks under college coach Rick Pitino where he averaged just 2.4 points and 2.0 assists per game.</p>
<p>After leaving professional basketball, he rejoined Pitino again, this time as an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky. He earned his first head coaching position at Marshall University and after two successful seasons, he took over at the University of Florida, where he would eventually become the fourth person to play and coach in a Final Four. After several successful seasons, he would move on to the NBA, first with the Oklahoma City Thunder and now with the Chicago Bulls.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 8 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427183 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1124,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1303609432.jpeg" alt="Scott Brooks" width="1600" height="1124" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1303609432.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1303609432-768x540.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Scott Brooks (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 8. Scott Brooks</h2>
<p>Scott Brooks may be wearing out his welcome with the Washington Wizards, but he is the first person on this list to have a lengthy professional playing career. Things got off to a rocky start, playing his freshman college season at TCU before transferring to San Joaquin Delta College for a season. He finally got a Division I chance close to home with the University of California at Irvine.</p>
<p>Brooks exploded in his senior season, averaging 23.8 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He was named to the All-PCAA First-Team but was still not drafted after his college career.</p>
<p>Brooks started his professional career in the CBA with the Albany Patroons, making the all-rookie team and winning a championship in his second season. He made a stop in the World Basketball League, playing for the Fresno Flames. He then made it to the NBA where he played for 10 seasons with six different teams. Over his career, he averaged 4.9 points, 2.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds per game and shot 37.2 percent from distance.</p>
<p>He would go on to finish his professional career with the Los Angeles Stars of the American Basketball Association, where he was a player-assistant coach. He got his first head coaching chance the next season for the Southern California Surf.</p>
<p>After one season, he moved on to the NBA, taking assistant coaching opportunities with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics. He would move with the Sonics to Oklahoma City and would eventually take over as head coach of the Thunder. After seven seasons there, he was let go and then landed with the Washington Wizards.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 7 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427184 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1185,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1310807887.jpeg" alt="Tyronn Lue" width="1600" height="1185" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1310807887.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1310807887-768x569.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Tyronn Lue (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 7. Tyronn Lue</h2>
<p>Tyronn Lue is most famous for one of the most embarrassing moments of his playing career, when <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAZvvaT79g8%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">Allen Iverson stepped over him</a> in an NBA Finals game. That minimizes just how good he was as a player.</p>
<p>Lue played his collegiate basketball at the University of Nebraska where he was second-team All-Big 12 as a sophomore and made the first team as a junior. In his final season, he averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Lue was good enough to get drafted 23rd overall by Denver Nuggets and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.</p>
<p>Lue played three seasons with the Lakers, appearing in just 61 regular-season games. He was part of two championship teams in Los Angeles, including the infamous moment involving Allen Iverson. Lue would go on to play for the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks. He would enjoy his most individual success in Atlanta where he averaged 11.0 points and 3.6 assists per game over four seasons.</p>
<p>After his playing days, Lue moved into a front-office role with the Boston Celtics before moving onto the bench as an assistant coach two years later. He would stay with the Celtics until Doc Rivers moved on to the LA Clippers and followed Rivers there for one season until joining the Cleveland Cavaliers as associate head coach.</p>
<p>Lue ended up taking over as the head coach amid his second season and led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016. After parting ways, he would be an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers again before replacing Doc Rivers as the head coach.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 6 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427185 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1228006878.jpeg" alt="Monty Williams" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1228006878.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1228006878-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Monty Williams (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 6. Monty Williams</h2>
<p>Moving on to the possible Coach of the Year, Monty Williams was a star at Notre Dame. He was named an honorable mention All-American in his senior season when he averaged 22.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He was drafted 24th overall by the New York Knicks in the 1994 draft.</p>
<p>Throughout his professional career, Williams played nine seasons for the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. He was regularly limited by injuries, specifically, a heart condition and knee issues. He finished with career averages of 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.</p>
<p>Williams followed his passion for basketball as an intern for the San Antonio Spurs before moving to the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant coach. He parlayed his time under Nate McMillan (more on him later) into the head coaching position of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans.</p>
<p>He would spend five semi-successful seasons there, then moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the associate head coach. He then took two years away from the sport before returning to the bench as an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers. One season later, he was given another opportunity, this time with the Phoenix Suns.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427186 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1088,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1304641222.jpeg" alt="Luke Walton" width="1600" height="1088" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304641222.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304641222-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Luke Walton (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 5. Luke Walton</h2>
<p>It’s never easy to follow a famous parent into the same profession. Bill Walton was one of the best players of his generation before having his career derailed by injury. Luke Walton also made it to the league and had his career cut short.</p>
<p>Walton was a standout at the University of Arizona where he was a second-team All-American as a junior. During that season, he would average 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.</p>
<p>After a solid four-year career, he was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003. He won two championships with the Lakers and peaked in his fourth season when he averaged 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He finished his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and then moved into coaching.</p>
<p>His experience on the sidelines actually started during his playing career when he worked as an assistant coach with the University of Memphis during the 2011 NBA lockout. Upon retirement, Walton returned to the Lakers, taking a player development position with the D-League squad, the D-Fenders.</p>
<p>After one season there, he moved to the Golden State Warriors, where he famously won 39 of the first 43 games of the season when Steve Kerr missed extended time. This was enough to get him a shot as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and eventually, with the Sacramento Kings.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427187 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1214343539.jpeg" alt="Steve Kerr" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1214343539.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1214343539-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Steve Kerr (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 4. Steve Kerr</h2>
<p>Easily the coach with the most hardware on this list, Steve Kerr played for several great teams before going on to coach one of the greatest squads in recent memory. Kerr was one of the best shooters in the league during his era, playing a key role for five championship teams.</p>
<p>Kerr got his start at the University of Arizona, where he was an All-American and would eventually be drafted 50th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1988. He played his first four seasons with the Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic before landing with the Chicago Bulls. He was a part of the second three-peat for the Chicago Bulls and won the NBA Three-Point contest in 1997.</p>
<p>Kerr would move on when the Bulls championship run was over and went to the San Antonio Spurs, winning two more championships.</p>
<p>Kerr is one of only four players in history to win consecutive championships with different teams. Upon his retirement, Steve Kerr was the league’s all-time leader in single-season three-point shooting percentage (52.4. percent) and career three-point percentage (45.4 percent).</p>
<p>Kerr waited a little longer than most to get into coaching, making his debut on the sidelines for the Golden State Warriors 11 years after the end of his playing days. He would win titles in three of his first four seasons.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427188 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1312013575.jpeg" alt="Nate McMillan" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312013575.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312013575-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Nate McMillan (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 3. Nate McMillan</h2>
<p>Nate McMillan is the first coach on this list who has his number retired by a professional team. He was not highly touted coming out of high school, starting his collegiate career at Chowan College. This was just a two-year school and he transferred to North Carolina State for his final two seasons. He was a key part of two teams that made the Elite Eight, averaging 8.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.</p>
<p>Known as a defensive specialist, McMillan was drafted with the final first-round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and would play 12 seasons for the Seattle SuperSonics. He holds the rookie record for the most assists in a single game at 25. McMillan made two All-Defensive Second Teams and led the league in assists in 1994. He would become known as Mr. Sonic, as he immediately moved into a coaching role with the team after playing.</p>
<p>McMillan started as an assistant coach for two seasons then took over as the head coach for the final five of his tenure. He left the team to take over as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and has since been taken on as an assistant with the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks before taking over as the head coach.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427189 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1300757802.jpeg" alt="Doc Rivers" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1300757802.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1300757802-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Doc Rivers (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 2. Doc Rivers</h2>
<p>Glenn “Doc” Rivers is the first player on the list to make an All-Star appearance. Rivers was a star in high school and went to Marquette University, where he played three seasons for the Golden Eagles. He averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals over his college career before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the first pick in the second round.</p>
<p>Rivers paired well with the star of the Hawks, Dominque Wilkins. They made the playoffs in six of his eight seasons in Atlanta and made the All-Star game in 1988 when he averaged 14.2 points, 9.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. After his time in Atlanta, he made stops with the LA Clippers, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.</p>
<p>Three years after his playing days ended, Rivers took over as the head coach of the Orlando Magic. He was named the Coach of the Year in his second season and made the playoffs three times. He spent a year in television after being let go, then took over as the head coach of the Boston Celtics. He won his first (and only to date championship) in 2008 and made his name as one of the best coaches in the league. Since then, he has coached the LA Clippers and now the Philadelphia 76ers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-427190 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1028896538.jpeg" alt="Steve Nash" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1028896538.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1028896538-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Steve Nash (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 1. Steve Nash</h2>
<p>There was never any debate about who would finish at the top of this list. Many of these coaches had solid or better playing careers. None of them are Hall of Famers. Steve Nash was one of the greatest players of his generation. The gap between him and second place is nearly impossible to measure.</p>
<p>Nash was a star at Santa Clara University, where he averaged 14.9 points, 4.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game over three seasons. He was named the Conference Player of the Year twice in college and was drafted 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1996. His career got off to an odd start, playing behind Kevin Johnson and Sam Cassell. When the executive who believed in him in Phoenix (Donnie Nelson) left to work for the Dallas Mavericks, Nash’s days with the Suns (for the time being) were numbered. Nash was traded to the Mavericks, partnering with Dirk Nowitzki.</p>
<p>In Dallas, Nash made his first two All-Star appearances and made two All-NBA Third Teams. Over the course of six seasons, Nash averaged 14.6 points, 7.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds. Mark Cuban made the choice to not give Nash the contract he wanted, leading to Nash returning to the Phoenix Suns.</p>
<p>From there, one of the most innovative and entertaining teams in recent NBA history was born. Steve Nash won two MVP awards, six more All-Star appearances, three All-NBA First teams, two All-NBA Second teams and led the league in assists five times. He was also the picture of efficiency, putting up four seasons where he shot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from distance and 90 percent from the free-throw line. He attempted to chase a ring at the end of his career, moving on to the Los Angeles Lakers but injuries ruined his tenure.</p>
<p>Nash is getting a chance to do something he never did as a player. He is coaching one of the most talented teams in the league in the Brooklyn Nets, and while he was a consultant for the championship teams in Golden State, he has never been the driving force behind an NBA champion. That could be changing in a few short months.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/24/nba-draft-best-picks/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/29/nba-ranking-head-coach-playing-career/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/04/24/nba-draft-best-picks/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history </a> </div>
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