Here is my attempt at ranking every current head coach by how good they were as players:
Rank | Head Coach | Team |
---|---|---|
1 | Jason Kidd | Dallas Mavericks |
2 | Chauncey Billups | Portland Trail Blazers |
3 | Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors |
4 | Tyronn Lue | Los Angeles Clippers |
5 | Adrian Griffin | Milwaukee Bucks |
6 | Jacque Vaughn | Brooklyn Nets |
7 | Willie Green | New Orleans Pelicans |
8 | Monty Williams | Detroit Pistons |
9 | Ime Udoka | Houston Rockets |
10 | Darvin Ham | Los Angeles Lakers |
11 | Rick Carlisle | Indiana Pacers |
12 | Billy Donovan | Chicago Bulls |
13 | Jamahl Mosley | Orlando Magic |
14 | Chris Finch | Minnesota Timberwolves |
15 | Nick Nurse | Philadelphia 76ers |
16 | J. B. Bickerstaff | Cleveland Cavaliers |
17 | Quin Snyder | Atlanta Hawks |
18 | Joe Mazzulla | Boston Celtics |
19 | Erik Spoelstra | Miami Heat |
20 | Mike Brown | Sacramento Kings |
21 | Michael Malone | Denver Nuggets |
22 | Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks |
23 | Steve Clifford | Charlotte Hornets |
24 | Wes Unseld Jr. | Washington Wizards |
25 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs |
26 | Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City Thunder |
27 | Frank Vogel | Phoenix Suns |
28 | Will Hardy | Utah Jazz |
29 | Taylor Jenkins | Memphis Grizzlies |
30 | Darko Rajaković | Toronto Raptors |
The top 12 all played in the NBA, and so it was easier to compare their careers as players.
Everyone else but Taylor Jenkins and Darko Rajaković played some college ball, so this was a bit tougher to rank. For the most part I ranked them according to their college production, or if they played at a high D1 school, although there are some exceptions.
Awesome idea of a thread and great list! I think it’s solid but I would agree with u/CaptainBananafishJr…I’m putting Willie like 4th. His peak was clearly better than Griffin or Vaughn. Probably above Lue too.