NBA Coach Salary in 2022【Head & Assistant Coach】| CareerExplorer

Average NBA Head Coach Salary is $3 Million Per Season

nba coach salary

On average, a head coach can make up to $3.5 million per season. But, the salary depends upon the number of games played per season. If a team plays 82 games per season the lowest NBA coach salary can be $2 million making it $25000 per game. 

How Much Does A NBA Coach Make?

Like a player’s contract, an NBA coach’s salary data is also not accessible to the public. However, we found enough resources that tell us NBA head coach salaries. NBA coaches don’t earn as much as individual players do, but they make a quite handsome annual salary. To identify an average NBA head coach’s salary, we compared it to their team’s win records.

How Much Does a Head NBA Coach Make on Average?

On average, a head coach can make up to $3.5 million per season. But, the salary depends upon the number of games played per season. If a team plays 82 games per season the lowest NBA coach salary can be $2 million making it $25000 per game.

NBA Head Coach Salary 2022:

EXPERIENCESALARY PER SEASON
Begineer$2 Million
Intermediate$2.8 Million
Professional$3.5 Million

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Top NBA Head Coaches Salaries 2022:

NAMEANNUAL SALARY
Greg Popovich $11 Million
Doc Rivers$10 Million
Scott Brooks$7 Million
Rick Carlisle$7 Million
Dwayne Casey$6 Million

What is National Basketball Association (NBA)?

National Basketball Association or NBA is a professional basketball league that came into existence in 1949 in the US. It is a merger of two rival organizations namely the National Football League and Basketball Association of America, hence the name NBA.

When Are NBA’s Seasons Played?

The NBA’s seasons are played from October to April and each team plays a total of 82 games. However, NBA’s playoffs extend to June. As of 2022, Basketball players in NBA are the world’s best-paid athletes by average salary per player annually.

NBA is an involved member of US Basketball (USAB) and FIBA recognizes NBA as the national governing body of basketball in the US. NBA has multiple international and individual team offices whose head offices are located in MidTown Manhattan. In NorthAmerica NBA is the richest professional sports league that is ranked after National Football League and Major league Baseball. Each NBA team has its coach, they have their different ranks and each NBA coach salary is set accordingly.

Learn More About: NBA Waterboy Salary

How Much Do Assistant NBA Coaches Make?

After knowing what role an assistant coach plays in the basketball team, it is now time to know about the NBA coach salary as an assistant. The salary of assistant coaches varies greatly due to the location, and the years of experience. And, switching locations in search of a better job as an assistant coach can prove fruitful and there are high chances that you might get a good NBA coach salary

As per December 2020, an assistant NBA coach can earn an average salary of $39,226 per year, making it a sum of $18.86 per hour. Coaches with a lower level of experience make $25000 a year while on the broader spectrum they can earn up to $61000. However, this amount can vary according to different states in the US

What is the Assistant NBA Coach Salary In Different States of the USA?

Even though an average salary of an assistant NBA coach is $39,226 but there are some states in the US where assistant coaches are paid quite well. Have a look at the list of the top 10 highest paying cities of assistant NBA coaches:

  1. Napa, CA – $56,000
  2. Cottage Grove, MN – $49,000
  3. San Antonio, TX – $48,000
  4. Urban Honolulu, HI – $44,000
  5. New Brunswick, NJ – $41,000
  6. New London, CT – $39,000
  7. Eugene, OR – $39,000
  8. Kingman, AZ – $39,000 
  9. Detroit, MI – $39,000
  10. Burlington, VT – $38,000

What Are NBA Head Coaches Responsible For?

nba coach salary 2021

NBA head coaches have the same responsibility as any other basketball coach. NBA head coaches are responsible for training and guiding the basketball players and help them polish their athletic skills and create a sense of sportsmanship and discipline among the team. They also organize basketball programs, demonstrate the players and the team, and conduct basketball tryouts.

Head coaches also work with athletic directors to prepare practice schedule dates, they sometimes organize uniform fitting. They also report if any player has sustained an injury, educate the players about safety procedures and maintain sportsman spirit during the games. After reading all of the duties you must have an idea that an NBA coach salary won’t be an average one!

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What are the Current NBA Coaches And Their Salaries?

Above, we figured out how much money NBA head coaches make on average. Now its time to uncover the list of present NBA coaches, where do they stand and how much do they make in a year. As aforementioned, the teams don’t disclose the salaries and contracts for the public but we have gathered the information regarding NBA coach salary based on few sources. Read below to find out how much does the coach of your favorite team earns annually and who is the highest-paid coach in NBA:

Greg Popovich 

Spurs fans may have an idea of coach pop salary. He earns a hefty salary annually and has also bagged 3 coach of the year awards. Popovich has also led his team, San Antonio Spurs to win 5 NBA championships. According to statistics, Greg Popovich has been the most successful coach in NBA history and earns up to $11 million annually. He also holds the record for most regular-season and playoff wins. His achievements leave us with no confusion as to why the Spurs coach salary is more than the others.

Doc Rivers

Before becoming a head coach of the Orlando Magic team in the start, Rivers played 13 seasons of NBA league till 1999. In 2000 he received a coach of the year award to lead his team efficiently till the playoffs which first landed on the bottom of the ranking table. After 5 years he started working as a head coach for the Celtics. And, since 2013 Rivers has been Los Angeles Clippers and earning a salary up to $10 million as a coach.

Scott Brooks

Scott Brooks was a player at NBA for almost 10 seasons. Before he was appointed as a head coach, Brooks worked as an assistant coach for Los Angeles Stars. He also spent some time working as an assistant for Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets before he got a job under PJ Carlesimo with the Seattle Supersonics. Scott Brooks is currently the head coach of the Wizards and $7 million annually.

Rick Carlisle

Rick Carlisle’s salary is not much behind the top 3 head coaches of the NBA. His career started surprisingly great as he was named as a coach of the year in 2002 for leading his team the Detroit Pistons to fifty wins. Rick Carlisle is one of those few players who earned an NBA title both as a coach and a player. He is coaching the Mavericks since 2008 and earns a whopping $7 million annually. His efforts surely justify an NBA coach salary

Dwayne Casey

Casey first worked as a head coach in Japan where he effectively led multiple Japanese Football teams. After his return to the US Casey was appointed as an assistant coach for the Sonics from 1994 till 2004. Followed by this Casey then took over the Minnesota Timberwolves as a head coach and his amazing performance in Minnesota led him to lead the Toronto Raptors. Currently, Casey is in a 5-year contract with the Detroit Pistons and earns up to $6 million every year.

Read More: NBA Commissioner Salary

Who Is An Assistant NBA Coach?

Just like head coaches are vital for the teams, assistant coaches are also a crucial part of coaching the team, polishing their skills they communicate with the players on a daily basis. The NBA coach salary of these assistants is not less as compared to head coaches. Even though they perform more tasks on a daily basis like communicating, planning and scheduling the games, the salary of NBA assistant coaches doesn’t justify the duties they perform.

Assistant coaches are responsible for recruiting skillful athletes and bringing out the best of their abilities, they also put effort into helping the players maintain a good relationship with the head coaches as the players have to spend time with them.

These coaches also prepare for games and create specialties such as player analysis, defense, and offense. During the game and after it has been finished, the assistant coaches review the matches and watch the old videos to see the loopholes in the performances. They also show their constant presence in the field as well as training sessions to have a keen eye on the players and monitor their activities. As an assistant, the NBA coach salary doesn’t represent the significance they have in the team.

Conclusion

NBA coaches make a hefty amount on an annual basis, the reason is, that they put in a lot of sweat and hard work to train the individuals and enhance their skills as a player. If you calculate Greg Popovich’s salary, it turns out to be $1 million a month. Leading a team of players having different personalities and different skill levels is a tough job.

In the past, many coaches headed the teams. But only the greatest ones have managed to stick and create a good name for the teams. Most of the great players and coaches have failed to do so. The aforementioned coaches made it possible and thus receive a substantial salary annually.

FAQS

What is the average salary of an NBA coach?

On average, a head coach can make up to $3.5 million per season. But, the salary depends upon the number of games played per season. If a team plays 82 games per season the lowest NBA coach salary can be $2 million making it $25000 per game.

Who is the Highest-Paid NBA Coach?

According to the stats, Gregg Popovich is the highest-paid NBA coach currently. The reason behind this is, that he is both the head coach and president of the spurs, making him the highest-paid NBA coach.

Are NBA coaches contracts guaranteed?

Yes, NBA coaches are given fully guaranteed contracts.

Do fired coaches get paid?

Since the coaching contracts are fully guaranteed, the firing team has to pay the coach for the contract years. However, there are some caveats.

Top 10 Highest Paid NBA Coach in 2021-2022