List of Denver Nuggets head coaches

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The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [1] The Nuggets were founded as the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. [1] In 1974, in anticipation of moving to the NBA, the franchise held a contest to choose a new trademarked name for the team, as Rockets was already in use by the Houston Rockets and the name Nuggets won. [1] In 1976, the ABA folded, and the NBA decided to admit four ABA teams into the league, including the Nuggets, the San Antonio Spurs, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets. [1]

Contents

There have been 22  head coaches for the Nuggets franchise. The franchise's first head coach was Bob Bass, who led the team to the division semifinals, losing to the New Orleans Buccaneers. [1] Doug Moe (1988) and George Karl (2013) are the only Nuggets coaches to win the NBA Coach of the Year Award. [2] Michael Malone is the franchise's all-time leader in both regular season and playoff wins. [3] Larry Brown & George Karl are the only Nuggets coaches to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, although John McLendon was inducted as a contributor, but not a coach. [4] In 1976, Brown coached the Nuggets to the team's only ABA championship game. [1] John McLendon, Joe Belmont, Donnie Walsh, Dan Issel, Bill Hanzlik, Mike Evans, Jeff Bzdelik, Michael Cooper, and Brian Shaw spent their entire NBA coaching careers with the Nuggets. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Key

GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
Win% Winning percentage
#Number of coaches [a]
*Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Nuggets
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct of the 2024–25 season.

#NameTerm [b] GCWLWin%GCWLWin%AchievementsReference
Regular seasonPlayoffs
Denver Rockets
Bob Bass 19671969 1568967.5711257.417 [13]
John McLendon * 1969 28919.321 [5]
Joe Belmont * 1969–1970 694524.6521257.417 [6]
Stan Albeck 1970–1971 712744.380 [14]
Alex Hannum 19711974 252118134.4681248.333 [15]
Denver Nuggets
Larry Brown 19741979 385251134.652452124.467Led team to and lost 1975–76 ABA Finals [1] [4]
Donnie Walsh * 19791980 1426082.423312.333 [7]
Doug Moe 19801990 789432357.548612437.3931987–88 NBA Coach of the Year [2] [3]
Paul Westhead 19901992 16444120.268 [16]
Dan Issel * 19921995 19896102.4851266.500 [8]
Gene Littles 1995 16313.188 [17]
Bernie Bickerstaff 19951996 1275968.465303.000 [18]
Dick Motta 1996–1997 691752.246 [19]
Bill Hanzlik * 1997–1998 821171.134 [9]
Mike D'Antoni 1998–1999 501436.280 [20]
Dan Issel * 19992001 19084106.442 [8]
Mike Evans * 2001–2002 561838.321 [10]
Jeff Bzdelik * 20022004 19273119.380514.200 [11]
Michael Cooper * 2004 14410.286 [12]
George Karl 20042013 680423257.622592138.3562012–13 NBA Coach of the Year [21]
Brian Shaw * 20132015 1415685.397
Melvin Hunt * 2015 231013.435 [22]
Michael Malone 20152025 798471327.590804436.550 NBA championship (2023) [23]
David Adelman * 2025–present3301.0001477.500

Notes

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Nuggets: 1967 to 1979". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Doug Moe Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Larry Brown Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "John McLendon Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  6. 1 2 "Joe Belmont Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  7. 1 2 "Donnie Walsh Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 "Dan Issel Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Bill Hanzlik's Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  10. 1 2 "Mike Evans Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  11. 1 2 "Jeff Bzdelik Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Michael Cooper Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  13. "Bob Bass Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  14. "Stan Albeck Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  15. "Alex Hannum Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  16. "Paul Westhead Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  17. "Gene Littles Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  18. "Bernie Bickerstaff Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  19. "Dick Motta Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  20. "Mike D'Antoni Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  21. "George Karl Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  22. "Brian Shaw Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  23. "Nuggets name Michael Malone new head coach". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.