The Best Coaches in Sports Right Now, Ranked
From legends like Dawn Staley, Andy Reid, and Geno Auriemma to the new names like Dan Hurley and Becky Hammon, here are the best coaches in sports right now.
Bill Belichick. Mike Krzyzewski. Gregg Popovich.
The era of these legendary coaches dominating their respective sports consistently is slowly coming to an end. With Coach K retired, Belichick without a home, and Pop in a rebuild situation, there is a new generation of leaders taking the throne as the best coaches in sports.
Just this past week, we've seen Dawn Staley capture her second title in three years in women's college basketball with Dan Hurley leading UConn to its second title is as many years on the men's side to become the first team to win back-to-back chips since 2007. Becky Hammon was one of three coaches on the list to go back-to-back in their sports joining Hurley and Andy Reid but she accomplished it in her first two seasons as a head coach.
There are still legendary coaches like Bill Self and Geno Auriemma who have had sustained success for over 20 years despite a new era of names are still being ushered in.
The Complex Sports team put together a ranking of the 15 best coaches in sports right now. While the list factors in their historic impact, it will be judged off recent success and impact in their sport.
NOTE: The list will NOT include coaches in soccer (international and United States), hockey, or non-major American sports.
16.Honorable Mention
Dan Campbell
Kim Mulkey
Tom Izzo
Bruce Bochy
John Calipari
Ty Lue
15.Mike Tomlin - Pittsburgh Steelers
You may have your thoughts about Mike Tomlin's recent postseason success but you can't deny that never having a losing season in 17 years of coaching is an incredible feat. Even with plenty of roster turnover including losing Hall of Famers, Tomlin is guaranteed to have the Steelers in the playoff conversation every season no matter what. He's had subpar quarterbacks and still managed to have his team battle year in and year out.
We've seen Coach of the Year winners like Brian Daboll go from playoff wins to losing seasons the next year. Even though the Steelers have not reached the mountaintop since 2008, consistency in the NFL is still one of hardest things to achieve and Tomlin has mastered it.
14.Dave Roberts - Los Angeles Dodgers
Hate him or love him, Dave Roberts has a top five winning percentage all time for managers. Yes, he only has one title with the Dodgers, which came in the shortened COVID season, but you can't argue with the results. He'd be higher on this list if it wasn't for the Dodgers' underperforming in the playoffs but he still has a championship, two National League pennants, and five 100-win seasons under his belt. His teams haven't lacked talent and this year's squad is a championship-or-bust roster so we'll see if he can lead the Dodgers to another title.
13.Michael Malone - Denver Nuggets
This is a "what have you done for me lately" ranking so you can't leave out the coach who won the most recent NBA Title. Every great coach needs a great player so you can't solely pin Denver's NBA title on Nikola Jokic. Michael Malone has had the Nuggets win at least 46 games each of the last seven years. While they were tabbed as playoff chokers before last season, that wasn't always a fair assessment. In the years the Nuggets failed, they were hampered by injuries whether it was Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr.
At full strength last season, they dominated the league from start to finish and no team posed a threat to challenge them. They ran through the LeBron-led Lakers and the Durant-led Suns en route to a title and Mike Malone let you know about it after.
12.Becky Hammon - Las Vegas Aces
It was about time Becky Hammon got a head coaching job somewhere after years of development under one of the greatest coaches ever in Gregg Popovich. Although many thought she'd get a job in the NBA, Hammon took advantage of the opportunity she was provided with the Aces. The Aces were struggling to break through with their first title despite having the talent and regular season success to do it before Hammon showed up. Now, the Aces are back-to-back WNBA champs and are looking to three-peat this season.
How many coaches on this list can say they've won a championship in every season they've coached? Hammon's head coaching career is just beginning but she's laying the groundwork for an all-time resume.
11.Jim Harbaugh - Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh has done nothing but win regardless of the level he's coaching at. Fresh off a national title with the University of Michigan, Harbaugh will look to finally get the Chargers over the hump after years of stagnant results. Before he returned to college, Harbaugh put together a terrific four-year run in San Francisco. He's won nearly 70 percent of his game as an NFL head coach, tallying a 44-19 record. He of course lost his only Super Bowl appearance to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 but that shouldn't take away from the immediate success he had in the NFL.
Only time will tell if Harbaugh can finally secure that Lombardi Trophy but after his success in college, you can't deny his ability as a coach. It may take time for the Chargers as it did with the Wolverines but Harbaugh has shown that you should trust the process.
10.Kyle Shanahan - San Francisco 49ers
If it wasn't for two of the greatest talents to ever play the sport in Pat Mahomes and Tom Brady, Kyle Shanahan would have three rings right now. One as an offensive coordinator with the Falcons and two with the 49ers as a head coach. Shanahan has led the 49ers to four straight NFC Title games, winning two of them, but hasn't been able to get over the hump in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have blown late leads in both of Super Bowls to Mahomes and the Chiefs. You could also say If Jimmy Garoppolo didn't overthrow Emmanuel Sanders for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter in 2020, the Niners would have one ring but there was still time left on the clock for Mahomes. It'll hard to overcome those losses once again when you've executed the gameplan enough to win a title but Shanahan has been consistent enough the past four seasons to make you believe the 49ers will get another shot.
9.Bill Self - Kansas Men's Basketball
With Coach K, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, Jay Wright retired, men's college basketball is becoming more and more about the players. There are a handful of coaches that are as big as the programs they're at. While Kansas will always be a historic program, Bill Self is one of those last remaining figures. Despite an ugly finish to the 2023-24 season, Bill Self is still regarded as the one of the two best coaches in men's college hoops. He's still the last coach to lead a program not named UConn to a national championship.
8.Sean McVay - Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay has quietly been one of the best coaches in sports of late. The one blemish on his resume right now is a 5-12 season in 2022 but when you add the context, it's understandable. The Rams lost two stars in Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp to injuries during the 2022 season after losing Odell Beckham Jr., Von Miller, and Andrew Whitworth in the offseason.
Besides that, McVay has built a winning culture during his seven years in Los Angeles. He's won 61 percent of his games to go along with two NFC Titles and a Super Bowl in 2021. Still only 38 years old, McVay is on track to go down as an all time great if he continues on this pace the rest of his career.
7.Steve Kerr - Golden State Warriors
Steve Kerr is a great coach no matter how you feel about those years the Warriors had the luxury of Kevin Durant. He of course has had the greatest shooter of all time in Steph Curry to anchor his team but Kerr's emphasis on pace, ball movement, shooting to go along with his being with a player-first coach has helped the Warriors build a dynasty. He's had to manage star power and egos his entire run and has still managed to lead the franchise to four titles in the past decade. Winning an NBA title in spite of the drama that occurred in 2022 with Jordan Poole and Draymond Green was one of his most impressive coaching jobs.
The Warriors are likely an early exit in the playoffs this year if they do survive the Play-In but that shouldn't be on Kerr. The core of Steph, Draymond, and Klay Thompson is aging and it looks it has run its course. The Warriors front office will have some moves to make this offseason to preserve's Steph's final years in the league.
6.Erik Spoelstra - Miami Heat
There's not a coach who does more with less than Erik Spoelstra. Even though he's won titles with the "Big 3" of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, his most impressive coaching jobs have come in years where everyone counted out the Miami Heat. Last year was a perfect example as the Heat pulled off the unimaginable, representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed. Not only did the Heat make the Finals with that seeding, Miami did it without one of its leading scorers in Tyler Herro and multiple undrafted players receiving significant minutes. He's led Miami to two Finals appearances without the "Big 3" and has made the last six of eight postseasons with significant roster turnover.
With Spo and his star Jimmy Butler, the regular season is just about getting in at this point. Don't be surprised if they make another run this year with a lower seed.
5.Geno Auriemma - UConn Women's Basketball
Geno Auriemma hasn't won a title since 2016 but 11 championships is 11 championships. Despite not winning the last eight NCAA Tournaments, UConn has still been a successful program as the Huskies have appeared in seven of those the last eight Final Fours. They haven't been able to get over the hump of late but there's a good chance they'll be back on top next year with Paige Bueckers returning, a healthy Azzi Fudd, and the No. 1 high school recruit Sarah Strong on campus.
While Geno may not be the undisputed top coach in women's basketball anymore, he's still well-capable of leading his squad to yet another title.
4.Kirby Smart - Georgia Football
The College Football Playoff committee might've robbed Kirby Smart and Georgia from a three-peat. Whether you agree or not, it's still wild to this day that the defending champions went undefeated in the regular season and didn't get a chance in the playoff because they lost their conference championship to a national powerhouse in Alabama. They were clearly one of the best four teams in the country and they showed in their bowl game against FSU but that's how the cookie crumbles. We can guarantee that you'll be see Georgia every year in the expanded 12-team playoff bracket.
With Nick Saban gone, there's a clear-cut top dog in the coaching hierarchy. Kirby Smart has elevated Georgia to the premier program in college football and that may not stop anytime soon.
3.Dan Hurley - UConn Men's Basketball
Dan Hurley might have the greatest quote for a coach in the history of sports. In 2020, he sent a warning to the opposition saying "people better get us now because it's coming." He was right. Hurley returned UConn men's basketball to its throne and has done so in dominant fashion. With this era of the transfer portal, NBA Draft, and madness of March, the men's NCAA Tournament has grown accustomed to a new winner every year.
We've seen weird things happen like Loyola Chicago make the Final Four or even NC State this year. It's usually the most unpredictable postseason in sports. Dan Hurley defeated those odds. Even after losing two players to the NBA, UConn was even more dominant this season with no team posing a threat to the Huskies in March. Hurley has the deepest playbook in college basketball and no one will be surprised if UConn is right back in the Final Four next year.
2.Andy Reid - Kansas City Chiefs
We don't know how many more years Andy Reid will coach but he's already established himself as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. Reid is the only NFL coach to appear in four consecutive conference championships and win 100 games with two different franchises. As noted many times on this list, every great coach needs a great player so we can't just pin his success on Patrick Mahomes. Reid's longevity and ability to succeed in two different franchises deserves recognition.
Reid ranks fourth all time in wins. He's the all-time winningest coach for the Chiefs and Eagles. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004 in addition to multiple playoff runs. While Mahomes will go down as a top two quarterback to ever play the game, his success is a product of Reid being an offensive guru. Give Andy Reid his flowers.
1.Dawn Staley - South Carolina Women's Basketball
The toughest thing to deal with as a college coach is roster turnover. Dawn Staley has won three championships in the past eight years with completely different rosters and star players. South Carolina has won 90 of their last 91 games and lost a grand total of three games the past three seasons including an unblemished 38-0 season this year. In a time where women's college basketball arguably has more parity than it's ever had, Dawn and the South Carolina Gamecocks outclassed nearly every opponent.
She did it this season without a first team All-American on her roster. Instead, she developed the deepest team in the America, making it almost impossible to find a weakness. Dawn wins with glass and grace and every single one of her players love to play for her. Don't expect this success to stop any time soon. Even though Dawn will lose Kamilla Cardoso to the draft, she has Joyce Edwards, the No. 2 player in the high school, and an elite recruiting class joining campus next fall.
