Cleveland Cavaliers Kenny Atkinson wins the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year award, COTY Winners list..

– Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as he named the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year award winner, the NBA announced.

Atkinson is now an NBA Coach of the Year winner, announced Monday night as this year’s recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 15-0 start to the season — one of three winning streaks of at least 12 games this season by his club — and led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

J.B. Bickerstaff was second in the voting, after pulling Detroit from the basement to the playoffs. Ime Udoka was third, after guiding Houston’s path to ending its five-year playoff drought.

Atkinson won the NBA award. unveiled Monday night on a TNT broadcast, by a comfortable margin — getting 59 of the 100 first-place votes and appearing on 99 of the 100 ballots. Bickerstaff got 31 first-place votes to finish second, while Udoka got seven first-place votes to finish third.

Atkinson went to the Cavaliers after spending the most recent three seasons as an assistant with Golden State under Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Atkinson said he learned a ton from that experience, lessons he applied this season in Cleveland and obviously had great success with.

Atkinson and Bickerstaff both flourished in Year 1 of their current stints. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 64-18 record and the No. 1 seed in the East — doing so after Bickerstaff got fired following a run to the second round in Cleveland last season. Bickerstaff was then hired by Detroit and turned a 14-win team into a 44-win team that earned the East’s No. 6 seed.

Last Year Winner: – Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City Thunder won the last year NBA Coach of the year award 2024.

NBA Coach of the Year Award history: Full List of Winners from 1963-2025.

The NBA Coach of the Year Award trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. The legendary head coach guided the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1958-59 – 1965-66.

Take a look back at every Coach of the Year award winner in NBA history.

A year-by-year list of the NBA Coach of the Year Award winners 1963-2025:

2025-26 — ......!!!!

2024-25 — Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers

2023-24 — Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

2022-23 — Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings.

2021-22 — Monty Williams , Phoenix Suns

2020-21 — Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks

2019-20 — Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors

2018-19 — Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks

2017-18 — Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors

2016-17 — Mike D’Antoni, Houston Rockets

2015-16 — Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

2014-15 — Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks

2013-14 — Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 — George Karl, Denver Nuggets

2011-12 — Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

2010-11 — Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls

2009-10 — Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder

2008-09 — Mike Brown, Cleveland Cavaliers

2007-08 — Byron Scott, New Orleans Hornets

2006-07 — Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

2005-06 — Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks

2004-05 — Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix Suns

2003-04 — Hubie Brown, Memphis Grizzlies

2002-03 — Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

2001-02 — Rick Carlisle, Detroit Pistons

2000-01 — Larry Brown, Philadelphia 76ers

1999-00 — Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic

1998-99 — Mike Dunleavy, Portland Trail Blazers

1997-98 — Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers

1996-97 — Pat Riley, Miami Heat

1995-96 — Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls

1994-95 — Del Harris, Los Angeles Lakers

1993-94 — Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta Hawks

1992-93 — Pat Riley, New York Knicks

1991-92 — Don Nelson, Golden State Warriors

1990-91 — Don Chaney, Houston Rockets

1989-90 — Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers

1988-89 — Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix Suns

1987-88 — Doug Moe, Denver Nuggets

1986-87 — Mike Shuler, Portland Trail Blazers

1985-86 — Mike Fratello, Atlanta Hawks

1984-85 — Don Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks

1983-84 — Frank Layden, Utah Jazz

1982-83 — Don Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks

1981-82 — Gene Shue, Washington Bullets

1980-81 — Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers

1979-80 — Bill Fitch, Boston Celtics

1978-79 — Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City Kings

1977-78 — Hubie Brown, Atlanta Hawks

1976-77 — Tom Nissalke, Houston Rockets

1975-76 — Bill Fitch, Cleveland Cavaliers

1974-75 — Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha Kings

1973-74 — Ray Scott, Detroit Pistons

1972-73 — Tom Heinsohn, Boston Celtics

1971-72 — Bill Sharman, Los Angeles Lakers

1970-71 — Dick Motta, Chicago Bulls

1969-70 — Red Holzman, New York Knicks

1968-69 — Gene Shue, Baltimore Bullets

1967-68 — Richie Guerin, St. Louis Hawks

1966-67 — Johnny Kerr, Chicago Bulls

1965-66 — Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia 76ers

1964-65 — Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics

1963-64 — Alex Hannum, San Francisco Warriors

1962-63 — Harry Gallatin, St. Louis Hawks

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NBA.com