2027 NBA Coach of the Year Odds, Analysis & Favorites
- Nick Nurse (76ers) and Darko Rajaković (Raptors) open as the top two COTY contenders.
- Rick Carlisle and Erik Spoelstra are right behind.
- Coach of the Year winner has led his team to at least 50 wins in 8 of the last 10 years.
Award Context
- Defending Winner: Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics)
- Key Historical Trend: Since 2011, 10 of the last 16 Coach of the Year recipients anchored a No. 1 playoff seed, with voters consistently rewarding teams that drastically outperform win totals.
NBA Coach of the Year Odds
| Coach | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Nurse | 76ers | +900 |
| Darko Rajakovic | Raptors | +900 |
| Chris Finch | Timberwolves | +1000 |
| Erik Spoelstra | Heat | +1000 |
| Rick Carlisle | Pacers | +1600 |
COTY Favorites
Nick Nurse (+900) & Darko Rajaković (+900): Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse and Toronto’s Darko Rajaković share opening favorite status in a market primed for Eastern Conference turnarounds.
Nurse steps into a high-stakes campaign after Philadelphia retooled its rotation, giving him everything to target a top seed in the East. Let’s be realistic here, with LeBron and Jaylen Brown in the picture now, the Sixers are the biggest contender to win the conference and probably the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Meanwhile, Rajaković commands significant hype following Toronto’s aggressive roster upgrades. If Rajaković turns Toronto’s young core into a top-four Eastern contender, the narrative arc will heavily favor him in award balloting. The Serb was in the mix for the 2026 COTY, and lost to Mazzulla. To be honest, he was the one who was supposed to take the award, and sometimes, the voters remember that and know to compensate during the next ballot.
Chris Finch (+1000)
Chris Finch continues to keep Minnesota grounded near the top of the Western Conference standings. Across the East, Erik Spoelstra remains the ultimate wild card. Finch put a lot at stake by accepting the LaMelo Ball trade. Why? Because with him on the floor, the entire philosophy changes, and the T-Wolves won’t and can’t be an elite defensive team anymore. So if everything goes according to plan, and Minnesota clicks, be sure that Finch could easily win the award.
Erik Spoelstra (+1000)
Surprisingly, Spoelstra has never won a Coach of the Year award during his legendary career. Now, if Miami captures a top seed in the East, voter sentiment could unite around him quickly. They have Giannis, and with the two-time NBA MVP on the floor, the Heat are now one of the contenders. Therefore, Spoelstra has all the tools for a big-time result.
Rick Carlisle (+1600)
Indiana’s Rick Carlisle represents the premier dark-horse candidate on the opening board. His COTY odds are high, and many don’t see him in the picture, but listen to this. The Pacers are coming off a recalibrating year in which they played without Haliburton. Now, Indiana possesses the exact bounce-back profile that COTY voters adore. With a fully healthy roster and offensive pace, a 15+ win improvement from the Pacers would instantly place Carlisle at the forefront of the media conversation.
NBA Coach of the Year Award (COY)
The NBA Coach of the Year Award (COY) recognizes the league’s most outstanding head coach during the regular season.
First awarded in the 1962–63 season, this honor celebrates tactical innovation, culture building, and teams that far exceed preseason win expectations.
The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the Hall of Fame Boston Celtics coach who led his franchise to nine NBA championships.
🏆 Voting Criteria and Requirements
Unlike individual player awards, there is no minimum games-played cutoff for head coaches, though key voting guidelines apply:
- Regular Season Focus: The award is strictly based on regular-season performance; playoff results are not factored into voting.
- Voting Panel: Selected at the end of the regular season by a global panel of 100 media members and sportswriters.
- Point System: Voters use a weighted 5-3-1 ballot system (first, second, and third-place votes) to determine the winner.
🏀 NBA COTY Historical Milestones & Record Holders
- Most Wins (3): Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Gregg Popovich tie for the most Coach of the Year awards in NBA history.
- Inaugural Winner: Harry Gallatin (1962–63, St. Louis Hawks).
- Unanimous Winner: Mike Brown remains the only unanimous Coach of the Year winner in NBA history (2022–23, Sacramento Kings).
- Double Winner: Nick Nurse is the only head coach to win Coach of the Year in both the NBA and the G League.
NBA Coach of the Year Winners
| Season | Coach | Team | Record |
| 2025–26 | Joe Mazzulla | Boston Celtics | 61–21 |
| 2024–25 | Kenny Atkinson | Cleveland Cavaliers | 64–18 |
| 2023–24 | Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City Thunder | 57–25 |
| 2022–23 | Mike Brown | Sacramento Kings | 48–34 |
| 2021–22 | Monty Williams | Phoenix Suns | 64–18 |
| 2020–21 | Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks | 41–31 |
| 2019–20 | Nick Nurse | Toronto Raptors | 53–19 |
| 2018–19 | Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee Bucks | 60–22 |
| 2017–18 | Dwane Casey | Toronto Raptors | 59–23 |
| 2016–17 | Mike D’Antoni | Houston Rockets | 55–27 |
| 2015–16 | Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors | 73–9 |
| 2014–15 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta Hawks | 60–22 |
| 2013–14 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 62–20 |
| 2012–13 | George Karl | Denver Nuggets | 57–25 |
| 2011–12 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 50–16 |
| 2010–11 | Tom Thibodeau | Chicago Bulls | 62–20 |
| 2009–10 | Scott Brooks | Oklahoma City Thunder | 50–32 |
| 2008–09 | Mike Brown | Cleveland Cavaliers | 66–16 |
| 2007–08 | Byron Scott | New Orleans Hornets | 56–26 |
| 2006–07 | Sam Mitchell | Toronto Raptors | 47–35 |
| 2005–06 | Avery Johnson | Dallas Mavericks | 60–22 |
| 2004–05 | Mike D’Antoni | Phoenix Suns | 62–20 |
| 2003–04 | Hubie Brown | Memphis Grizzlies | 50–32 |
| 2002–03 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 60–22 |
| 2001–02 | Rick Carlisle | Detroit Pistons | 50–32 |
| 2000–01 | Larry Brown | Philadelphia 76ers | 56–26 |
| 1999–00 | Doc Rivers | Orlando Magic | 41–41 |
| 1998–99 | Mike Dunleavy | Portland Trail Blazers | 35–15 |
| 1997–98 | Larry Bird | Indiana Pacers | 58–24 |
| 1996–97 | Pat Riley | Miami Heat | 61–21 |
| 1995–96 | Phil Jackson | Chicago Bulls | 72–10 |
| 1994–95 | Del Harris | Los Angeles Lakers | 48–34 |
| 1993–94 | Lenny Wilkens | Atlanta Hawks | 57–25 |
| 1992–93 | Pat Riley | New York Knicks | 60–22 |
| 1991–92 | Don Nelson | Golden State Warriors | 55–27 |
| 1990–91 | Don Chaney | Houston Rockets | 52–30 |
| 1989–90 | Pat Riley | Los Angeles Lakers | 63–19 |
| 1988–89 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Phoenix Suns | 55–27 |
| 1987–88 | Doug Moe | Denver Nuggets | 54–28 |
| 1986–87 | Mike Schuler | Portland Trail Blazers | 49–33 |
| 1985–86 | Mike Fratello | Atlanta Hawks | 50–32 |
| 1984–85 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee Bucks | 59–23 |
| 1983–84 | Frank Layden | Utah Jazz | 45–37 |
| 1982–83 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee Bucks | 51–31 |
| 1981–82 | Gene Shue | Washington Bullets | 43–39 |
| 1980–81 | Jack McKinney | Indiana Pacers | 44–38 |
| 1979–80 | Bill Fitch | Boston Celtics | 61–21 |
| 1978–79 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Kansas City Kings | 48–34 |
| 1977–78 | Hubie Brown | Atlanta Hawks | 41–41 |
| 1976–77 | Tom Nissalke | Houston Rockets | 49–33 |
| 1975–76 | Bill Fitch | Cleveland Cavaliers | 49–33 |
| 1974–75 | Phil Johnson | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | 44–38 |
| 1973–74 | Ray Scott | Detroit Pistons | 52–30 |
| 1972–73 | Tom Heinsohn | Boston Celtics | 68–14 |
| 1971–72 | Bill Sharman | Los Angeles Lakers | 69–13 |
| 1970–71 | Dick Motta | Chicago Bulls | 51–31 |
| 1969–70 | Red Holzman | New York Knicks | 60–22 |
| 1968–69 | Gene Shue | Baltimore Bullets | 57–25 |
| 1967–68 | Richie Guerin | St. Louis Hawks | 56–26 |
| 1966–67 | Johnny Kerr | Chicago Bulls | 33–48 |
| 1965–66 | Dolph Schayes | Philadelphia 76ers | 55–25 |
| 1964–65 | Red Auerbach | Boston Celtics | 62–18 |
| 1963–64 | Alex Hannum | San Francisco Warriors | 48–32 |
| 1962–63 | Harry Gallatin | St. Louis Hawks | 48–32 |
