The recent dismissal of Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer marks the departure of the final coach from the last four NBA championship-winning teams. Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, is now the only man left standing from the most recent quartet of title winners. Kerr’s comments on the issue indicate that the high demands of the profession, the fickle patience of team leadership, and superstar players are all contributing factors in the short tenure of NBA coaches, even those that win championships.
In recent years, the only coaches to remain with the teams they led to titles are Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra. However, they are not under the same kind of pressure as coaches who have won a single title. Teams often have high expectations for their coaches, expecting not just playoff appearances but deep runs in the postseason. Coaches who can’t deliver on these expectations may face dismissal. Additionally, the relationship between the coach and the franchise player is an essential factor in job security. Franchise players carry a lot more weight than ever before, and coaches must keep them happy at all costs.
Steve Kerr is aware of these pressures but still enjoys strong support from both management and the locker room. However, he may not be immune to dismissal, as the recent examples of Budenholzer and Frank Vogel show. The decision to leave a team can also be the coach’s own. Kerr may decide to leave the Warriors at the top of his game and move into the front office, as he has experience as a GM. In summary, coaching is a precarious career in the NBA, where success is fleeting, and pressure is high.
