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Analysis: NBA and WNBA coaching jobs ‘don’t have a long shelf life’ Recently this has been 1 to 3 years

Written by: TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

Erik Spoelstra quietly made history last week. He saw no reason for celebration.

Spoelstra is in his 17th season as coach of the Miami Heat, the third-longest uninterrupted tenure by a single coach with a single team in NBA history. Gregg Popovich is in his 29th year in San Antonio and Jerry Sloan played 23 years in Utah.

To most coaches in today’s NBA, the idea of ​​such a run might seem impossible.

Half of the coaches in the league, 15 out of 30, are only in their third year of their current job. There have been eight managerial changes so far in 2024 alone, and there are still two months until the owner or general manager decides to add to that list.

“This is a sobering reality of this profession,” Spoelstra said. “It breaks my heart when I hear that statistic because there are so many really talented coaches and if they had the same structure, consistency and the same belief (in their teams) a lot more coaches could do this.” “What can I do here?”

It’s no secret that the term “job security” doesn’t mean much, especially in coaching today.

Coming off one of its most successful years ever in terms of participation and interest, the WNBA had 12 teams this season; Seven of these teams currently do not have a coach. The Dallas Wings are about to hire their fourth head coach in seven seasons. Atlanta Dream made the playoffs; They still let Tanisha Wright go. With Caitlin Clark coming off her record-breaking rookie year, the Indiana Fever fired Christie Sides over the weekend after a 1-8 start turned into a playoff berth. On Monday, the Connecticut Sun and coach Stephanie White parted ways after back-to-back trips to the WNBA semifinals.

The WNBA isn’t trying to emulate the NBA’s coaching system, but here we are.

“Leave it better than you found it,” Sides posted on social media after Fever released him.

But the NBA may still be the gold standard when it comes to impatience with coaches. This past offseason saw some moves that seemed crazy on paper.

Los Angeles Lakers lure JJ Redick away from ESPN; Redick’s only previous coaching job was leading fourth graders earlier this year. Phoenix moved on from NBA champion Frank Vogel and replaced him with NBA champion Mike Budenholzer (whose ring belongs to the Suns in 2021). JB Bickerstaff became the first coach in more than 30 years to take the Cleveland Cavaliers team without LeBron James to the second round, and he was also fired.

Bickerstaff went to Detroit. The Pistons fired Monty Williams after one season; He had five years and about $65 million remaining on his contract. Williams will now coach his sons at a high school in San Antonio.

“Keep doing the work you’re supposed to do,” Bickerstaff said.

He could have added “as long as you have it” because who knows what will happen next in the NBA.

Popovich fired Bob Hill, who coached the Spurs in 18 games during the 1996-97 season, and declared himself the coach. Tim Duncan arrived a year later and changed the team’s fortunes, but in this NBA era, Popovich’s record of finishing 17-47 in his first season probably wouldn’t have given him a chance to keep the job.

Clearly this move worked. Popovich has more wins than anyone in NBA history. And counting moves involving interim coaches, the league’s next coaching change will be the 300th since Popovich began coaching the Spurs.

Since Popovich took office, 183 different coaches have worked in the league, excluding himself. Of those, 78 coached more than one franchise during that span — Alvin Gentry, Larry Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Doc Rivers coached at five different locations in those years, and nine other coaches worked for four different franchises during that span.

“You always strive to be the best you can be,” said New Orleans coach Willie Green, who is entering his fourth year with the Pelicans and has been on the job longer than half the other coaches in the league. concerts. “But you accept these jobs knowing they don’t have a long shelf life.”

Popovich is not being fired. Spoelstra is in Year 1 of an eight-year deal. Golden State’s Steve Kerr will decide when to leave the Warriors. Joe Mazzulla certainly gained a lot of assurance after leading Boston to the NBA championship. Mark Daigneault has done a great job building Oklahoma City. There are others who would certainly be safe in their current jobs if things went south, but probably not many.

“There have been 14 job openings in the last two years alone,” said Spoelstra, who is part of a group in Miami — including team president Pat Riley — that is entering its 30th year with the Heat. “I think it’s a really sad situation from a coaching perspective in that respect. Coaching staff are not given enough time to develop a culture, develop the right habits, and overcome the challenges necessary to get to the next level. “I’m grateful that we have this structure and stability here.”

Associated Press contributed to this article