It has long been viewed as a foregone conclusion that Kenny Atkinson (-325) of the Detroit Pistons has closed the gap significantly and could very well snatch away the hardware when it's time to vote.
Here's a look at the latest odds leaderboard for all remaining candidates in the race for the Red Auerbach trophy.
2025 NBA Coach of the year Odds
| Head Coach | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kenny Atkinson | Cleveland Cavaliers | -325 |
| J.B. Bickerstaff | Detroit Pistons | +200 |
| Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City Thunder | +2000 |
| JJ Redick | Los Angeles Lakers | +20000 |
Odds as of March 31, 2025 at BetMGM
NBA Coach Of The Year Betting Favorite: Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers (-325)
From start to finish, the job that Atkinson has done taking what was already perceived to be a threat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and turning them into the second-best team in all of basketball in the win-loss column is nothing short of extraordinary in his first year with the Cavaliers organization. The team leads the Association in offense by averaging 121.7 points per 100 possessions, which is 1.8 points more than anyone else and an improvement of 6.8 points over last season with the core of the roster (Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen) still intact.
Cleveland had defeated the Pistons in three matchups already this season, but a recent 133-122 loss at Little Caesars Arena on March 28 did much to boost Bickerstaff's Coach of the Year resume, which helps explain why the odds have undergone such dramatic changes as of late.
NBA Coach of the Year Darkhorse: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons (+200)
That aforementioned victory by Detroit over Cleveland came without the services of All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham and veteran forward Tobias Harris, and also guaranteed the Pistons' first winning record since 2015-16. Perhaps the most impressive feat of all, though, was that with 42 total wins, Detroit has tripled its win total from 2023-24 (14) and become the first team to ever accomplish that feat across a full 82-game slate.
It's kind of ironic that the two leading contenders for this award are Bickerstaff and his replacement upon being fired by the Cavaliers in Atkinson. The Pistons sitting in the thick of it as the No. 6 seed in the East after tying the record for the most losses in a row with 28 last year is a dramatic jump in quality which very few saw coming. Perhaps it's the element of surprise which could give Bickerstaff the edge here.
Past 10 NBA Coach Of The Year Winners
| Year | Coach | Team | Team Record | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mark Daigneault | Oklahoma City Thunder | 57-25 (.695) | +700 |
| 2023 | Mike Brown | Sacramento Kings | 48-34 (.585) | +8000 |
| 2022 | Monty Williams | Phoenix Suns | 64-18 (.740) | +2000 |
| 2021 | Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks | 41-31 (.569) | +8000 |
| 2020 | Nick Nurse | Toronto Raptors | 46-18 (.719) | +2000 |
| 2019 | Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee Bucks | 60-22 (.732) | +1100 |
| 2018 | Dwayne Casey | Toronto Raptors | 59-23 (.720) | +3000 |
| 2017 | Mike D'Antoni | Houston Rockets | 55-27 (.671) |
+3000 |
| 2016 | Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors | 73-9 (.890) | +575 |
| 2015 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta Hawks | 60-22 (.732) | +25000 |
With the opening odds stemming from the start of the preseason of each respective year, only two coaches since 2015 had better than 10-to-1 odds at that time and went on to ultimately win. Mike Budenholzer won with a staggering +25000 odds in 2015 after the Atlanta Hawks improved by an absurd 22 victories in the standings year to year.
Who Has Won The Most NBA Coach Of The Year Awards?
| Awards | Coach | Team(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee Bucks (2), Golden State Warriors (1) | 1983, 1985, 1992 |
| 3 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 2003, 2012, 2014 |
| 3 | Pat Riley | Los Angeles Lakers (1), New York Knicks (1), Miami Heat (1) | 1990, 1993, 1997 |
| 2 | Hubie Brown | Atlanta Hawks (1), Memphis Grizzlies (1) | 1978, 2004 |
| 2 | Mike Brown | Cleveland Cavaliers (1), Sacramento Kings (1) | 2009, 2023 |
| 2 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta Hawks (1), Milwaukee Bucks (1) | 2015, 2019 |
| 2 | Mike D'Antoni | Phoenix Suns (1), Houston Rockets (1) | 2005, 2017 |
| 2 | Bill Fitch | Cleveland Cavaliers (1), Boston Celtics (1) | 1976, 1980 |
| 2 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Kansas City Kings (1), Phoenix Suns (1) | 1979, 1989 |
| 2 | Gene Shue | Baltimore Bullets (1), Washington Bullets (1) | 1969, 1982 |
| 2 | Tom Thibodeau | Chicago Bulls (1), New York Knicks (1) | 2011, 2021 |
Since its inception, the Coach of the Year has been given to forty different coaches, with Don Nelson, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley the only ones to win three different times. Riley is the only coach to do so with three different franchises, as well.
NBA Teams With Most Coach Of The Year Winners
| Awards | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Atlanta Hawks | 1963, 1968, 1978, 1986, 1994, 2015 |
| 4 | Chicago Bulls | 1967, 1971, 1996, 2011 |
| 3 | Boston Celtics | 1965, 1973, 1980 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1972, 1990, 1995 |
| 3 | San Antonio Spurs | 2003, 2012, 2014 |
| 3 | Golden State Warriors | 1964, 1992, 2016 |
| 3 | Houston Rockets | 1977, 1991, 2017 |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983, 1985, 2019 |
| 3 | Toronto Raptors | 2007, 2018, 2020 |
| 3 | New York Knicks | 1970, 1993, 2021 |
| 3 | Phoenix Suns | 1989, 2005, 2022 |
| 3 | Sacramento Kings | 1975, 1979, 2023 |
Atlanta currently holds the distinction for being the only organization to have won six Coach of the Year awards, which includes the first-ever winner being Harry Galltin back in 1963. Richie Guerin, Hubie Brown, Mike Fratello, Lenny Wilkens, and Budenholzer also won while with the Hawks.
NBA Teams With Zero Coach Of The Year Winners
The following teams have never had an NBA Coach of the Year winner: Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, and Brooklyn Nets.
How To Read NBA Most Improved Player Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year odds laid out like this:
- Joe Mazzulla +900
- Nick Nurse +1000
It's like a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+). In this scenario, Joe Mazzulla is favored despite being at plus money. If you were to bet $100 on Mazzulla in the NBA Coach of the Year betting odds and it hits, you would win $1000 – your $100 is returned and you would get $900 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named Coach of the Year, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s Coach of the Year. To make a Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the Coach of the Year odds and the amount of money you bet.
