List of Los Angeles Lakers head coaches

Last updated

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, formerly known as the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948 to 1960. [1] They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers have played their home games at the Staples Center since 1999. [2] The franchise took its official name from Minnesota's nickname, the Land of 10,000 Lakes. At the time the name was revealed, the Lakers were in Minneapolis. [3] In their franchise history, the team has only missed the NBA playoffs 11 times. [4] According to Forbes magazine, the Lakers are the second most valuable basketball franchise in the NBA, valued at approximately US$4.4 billion, surpassed only by the New York Knicks. [5] The Lakers are majority-owned by Jerry Buss's family trust, while Rob Pelinka is the general manager. [6]

Contents

There have been 26  head coaches for the Lakers since joining the NBA. The franchise's first head coach while in the NBA was John Kundla, who coached for 11 seasons with the Lakers. [1] The Lakers won four additional NBA championships in the next five years under Kundla. [1] Phil Jackson is the franchise's all-time leader for the most regular-season games coached (902), most playoff games coached (181), most regular-season game wins (610), and most playoff wins (118). The Lakers have won 17 championships; five with Kundla, five with Jackson, four with Riley, one with Bill Sharman, one with Paul Westhead, and one with Frank Vogel. [7] With the Lakers, Sharman, Riley, and Del Harris have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award, in 1972, 1990, and 1995 respectively. [8] Kundla, Sharman, Riley, and Jackson have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. [9] [10] [11] [12] George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Jerry West, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, and Luke Walton have all played and coached for the Lakers.

Key

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

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the 2023–24 season.

#NameTerm [b] GCWLWin%GCWLWin%AchievementsReference
Regular seasonPlayoffs
Minneapolis Lakers
1 John Kundla *† 1948–1958 653390263.597825428.6595 Championships (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954) [7]
One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [13] 		[9]
2 George Mikan * 1958 39930.231 [14]
John Kundla *† 1958–1959 723339.4581367.462One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [13] [9]
John Castellani * 1959–1960 361125.306 [15]
Jim Pollard 1960 391425.359954.556 [16]
Los Angeles Lakers
Fred Schaus * 1960–1967 560315245.563713338.465 [17]
Butch van Breda Kolff 1967–1969 16410757.652332112.636 [18]
Joe Mullaney 1969–1971 1649470.573301614.533 [19]
Bill Sharman † 1971–1976 410246164.600372215.595 1971–72 NBA Coach of the Year [8]
1 Championship (1972) [7] 		[10]
Jerry West * 1976–1979 246145101.58922814.364 [20]
Jack McKinney 1979 14104.714 [21]
Paul Westhead 1979–1981 16111150.68919136.6841 Championship (1980) [7] [22]
Pat Riley 1981–1990 727533194.73314910247.685 1989–90 NBA Coach of the Year [8]
4 Championships (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) [7]
One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [13] 		[11]
Mike Dunleavy 1990–1992 16410163.616231310.565 [23]
Randy Pfund * 1992–1994 1466680.452523.400 [24]
Bill Bertka * 1994 211.500 [25]
Magic Johnson * 1994 16511.313 [26]
Del Harris 1994–1999 340224116.659361719.472 1994–95 NBA Coach of the Year [8] [27]
Bill Bertka * 1999 1101.000 [25]
Kurt Rambis 1999 372413.649835.375 [28]
Phil Jackson 1999–2004 410287123.700926428.6963 Championships (2000, 2001, 2002) [7]
One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [13] 		[12]
Rudy Tomjanovich 2004–2005 432419.558 [29]
Frank Hamblen 2005 391029.256 [30]
Phil Jackson 2005–2011 492323169.657895435.6072 Championships (2009, 2010) [7]
One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [13] 		[12]
Mike Brown 2011–2012 714229.5911257.417 [31]
Bernie Bickerstaff 2012 541.800 [32]
Mike D'Antoni 2012–2014 1546787.435404.000 [33]
Byron Scott 2014–2016 16438126.227———— [34]
Luke Walton 2016–2019 24698148.398———— [35]
Frank Vogel 2019–2022 22512798.56427189.6671 Championship (2020) [7] [36]
28 Darvin Ham 2022–2024 1649074.54916912.429 [37]

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Lakers</span> National Basketball Association team in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, an arena shared with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, with 17 NBA championships, tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history. The Lakers were the champions of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Riley</span> American basketball player, coach, and executive (born 1945)

Patrick James Riley is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also served as the team's head coach from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2005 to 2008. Often referred to as "The Godfather", Riley is regarded as one of the greatest NBA figures of all time both as a coach and executive. He has won five NBA championships as a head coach, four with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s and one with the Heat in 2006. Riley is a nine-time NBA champion across his tenures as a player (1972), assistant coach (1980), head coach, and executive. Since the start of his career in the NBA, Riley has appeared in 25 percent of all NBA Finals in history over his span as player, coach, and executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Jackson</span> American basketball player, coach and executive

Philip Douglas Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. Regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011; the team won five league titles under his leadership. Jackson's 11 NBA titles as a coach surpassed the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds numerous other records as a coach, such as most postseason wins (229), and most NBA Conference titles (13).

The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team in the league. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. In addition, the top ten head coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The 50 players had to have played at least a portion of their careers in the NBA and were selected irrespective of position played.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Rambis</span> American basketball player and coach

Darrell Kurt Rambis is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won four NBA championships while playing power forward for the Lakers. Rambis was a key member of the Showtime era Lakers and was extremely popular for his hard-nosed blue collar play. With his trademark black horn-rimmed glasses, Rambis complemented the flashy Hollywood style of the Showtime era Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers season</span> Season of National Basketball Association team the Los Angeles Lakers

The 1979-80 NBA season was the Lakers' 32nd season in the NBA and the 20th season in Los Angeles. It featured a 20-year old rookie Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to their seventh NBA Championship, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving in six games in the NBA Finals, which was the first NBA Finals with a three-point line. This was also the team's first season under the ownership of Jerry Buss. Magic's season represented the birth of the Showtime Lakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showtime (basketball)</span> Era in Los Angeles Lakers history (1979–1991)

In basketball, Showtime was an era in Los Angeles Lakers history from 1979 to 1991 when the National Basketball Association (NBA) team played an exciting run-and-gun style of basketball. Led by Magic Johnson's passing skills and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring, the team relied on fast breaks and won five NBA championships. Lakers owner Jerry Buss purchased the team in 1979, and he wanted their games to be entertaining. He insisted that the Lakers play an up-tempo style, and the team hired dancers and a live band for their home games at The Forum. The team established a Hollywood-celebrity following.

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 "Los Angeles Lakers History". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  2. ↑ "About STAPLES Center". L.A. Arena Company. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  3. ↑ Reavis, Tracey (2000). The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. Doubleday. ISBN   978-0-385-50130-9.
  4. ↑ "Odom scores 31, Lakers beat Mavericks 112-108 to clinch a playoff berth". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
  5. ↑ "The Business of Basketball". Forbes . Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. ↑ Markazi, Arash (February 18, 2013). "Buss family won't sell Lakers". ESPNLosAngeles.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "NBA Finals: All-Time Champions". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 "John Kundla Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  10. 1 2 "Bill Sharman Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  11. 1 2 "Pat Riley Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  12. 1 2 3 "Phil Jackson Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Top 10 Coaches in NBA History". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
  14. ↑ "George Mikan Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  15. ↑ "John Castellani Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Jim Pollard Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Fred Schaus Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Butch Van Breda Kolff Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Joe Mullaney Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Jerry West Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Jack MckInney Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Paul Westhead Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Mike Dunleavy Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  24. ↑ "Randy Pfund Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  25. 1 2 "Bill Bertka Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  26. ↑ "Magic Johnson Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  27. ↑ "Del Harris Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  28. ↑ "Kurt Rambis Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Rudy Tomjanovich Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  30. ↑ "Frank Hamblem Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  31. ↑ "Mike Brown Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Bernie Bickerstaff Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Mike D'Antoni Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Byron Scott Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Luke Walton Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Frank Vogel Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Darvin Ham Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 11, 2019.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.