Coaching Tree Influence

The scale and success of the coaching tree this coach produced.

44entities ranked

Coaching Tree Influence Leaderboard

#	Entity	Score	Reasoning
	Gregg Popovichcoach	100	Popovich's coaching tree is the most extensive in modern NBA history, with protégés including head coaches Mike Budenholzer (NBA champion), Steve Kerr (4 championships), Monty Williams (Finals appearance), Ime Udoka (Finals appearance), Mike Brown, Becky Hammon, Will Hardy, and numerous other assistants who became head coaches or top executives across the league.
	Pat Rileycoach	95	Riley's coaching tree includes multiple championship-winning head coaches (Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr) and numerous successful head coaches across decades (Stan Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Woodson, Bob McAdoo, Paul Pressey), with his disciples winning multiple NBA championships and his influence extending through both his assistant coaches and players who became coaches.
	Red Auerbachcoach	95	Red Auerbach's coaching tree is one of the most influential in NBA history, producing numerous successful head coaches including Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Bill Sharman, and Don Nelson, with his disciples winning multiple championships and spawning their own extensive coaching lineages that shaped decades of NBA basketball.
	Larry Browncoach	95	Larry Brown's coaching tree is one of the most extensive in NBA history, with numerous protégés becoming successful head coaches including Gregg Popovich, R.C. Buford, Larry Drew, Mike Brown, Tyronn Lue, and Quin Snyder, several of whom won championships.
5	Phil Jacksoncoach	85	Phil Jackson's coaching tree includes successful head coaches like Luke Walton, Steve Kerr (9 championships as coach), and Brian Shaw, though his tree is notably smaller in scale compared to Popovich, Riley, and Brown who produced dozens of head coaches.
6	Chuck Dalycoach	82	Chuck Daly's coaching tree produced multiple successful NBA head coaches including Rick Carlisle (NBA champion), Brendan Malone (longtime assistant and head coach), and Ron Rothstein, along with influential assistants like Brendan Suhr, representing a solid orchard of disciples though not reaching the forest-level proliferation of Popovich or Riley.
6	Don Nelsoncoach	82	Don Nelson's coaching tree produced multiple successful NBA head coaches including Avery Johnson, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Scott Skiles, and Rick Carlisle (who won a championship in 2011), along with other assistants who became head coaches, placing him firmly in the Orchard tier with several successful disciples but not quite reaching the Forest level of Popovich/Riley.
8	Mike Budenholzercoach	78	Budenholzer, a Popovich disciple himself, has produced multiple successful head coaches including Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies), Darvin Ham (Lakers), Charles Lee (Hornets), and Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), with Jenkins and Atkinson achieving notable success, placing him in the upper tier of coaches with meaningful trees but below the all-time greats.
9	Mike D'Antonicoach	68	D'Antoni's assistants include several who became NBA head coaches (Alvin Gentry, Kenny Atkinson, Darvin Ham, Igor Kokoskov) but none have achieved championship success or spawned extensive secondary trees, placing him in the upper portion of the Branches tier.
9	Rick Adelmancoach	68	Adelman's tree includes several assistants who became NBA head coaches (Terry Stotts, Dwane Casey, Mike Malone, Kevin McHale) with Stotts and Casey achieving sustained success, but lacks the championship pedigree and breadth of disciples seen in higher tiers.
9	Steve Kerrcoach	68	Steve Kerr's coaching tree includes several assistants who became head coaches (Mike Brown with Sacramento, Luke Walton with Lakers/Kings, Alvin Gentry returning to head coaching, Kenny Atkinson with Cavaliers) but lacks the depth and championship success of higher-tier trees.
9	Lenny Wilkenscoach	68	Wilkens' assistants include notable figures like Terry Stotts (who became a successful NBA head coach), George Karl (though Karl's connection predates their work together), and several others who reached coordinator or assistant roles, but the tree lacks the depth and championship success of the top-tier coaching lineages.
9	Doc Riverscoach	68	Doc Rivers has produced a modest coaching tree with several assistants becoming NBA head coaches including Tyronn Lue (championship winner), Sam Cassell, Lawrence Frank, and Alvin Gentry, but the tree lacks the depth and widespread influence of the top-tier coaching dynasties.
14	George Karlcoach	52	George Karl's coaching tree produced a limited number of head coaches including Alvin Gentry (who had moderate success) and a few other assistants who reached head coaching roles, but lacks the depth and championship success of higher-tier coaching trees.
15	Rick Pitinocoach	48	Pitino's NBA coaching tree produced limited head coaching success, with assistants like Tubby Smith, Billy Donovan, and Herb Sendek finding more success at the college level than in the NBA, and no significant NBA championship-winning protégés emerging from his staff.
15	Tom Thibodeaucoach	48	Thibodeau has produced a limited coaching tree with few assistants advancing to NBA head coaching positions, notably Adrian Griffin (Bucks 2023-24) and Chris Fleming (various assistant roles), but lacks the breadth and championship success of higher-tier coaching trees.
15	Dwane Caseycoach	48	Casey's coaching tree includes Nick Nurse (who won a championship in Toronto) and a few other assistants who reached head coaching roles like Rex Kalamian and Nate Bjorkgren, but the tree remains limited in both scale and sustained success compared to the established archetypes.
18	Quin Snydercoach	42	Snyder has produced a limited coaching tree with only a few assistants advancing to head coaching roles, most notably Alex Jensen (Mavericks assistant) and Igor Kokoskov (brief Suns tenure), but lacks the breadth and sustained success of higher-tier coaching trees.
18	Jack Ramsaycoach	42	Jack Ramsay's coaching tree produced limited head coaching descendants, with only a few assistants like Mike Dunleavy Sr. and Jack McKinney achieving head coaching roles, but without the widespread influence or championship success seen in higher-tier coaching trees.
18	Red Holzmancoach	42	Red Holzman's coaching tree produced minimal head coaching descendants, with only a few assistants like Rick Pitino (who became more prominent in college) and no significant NBA head coaching lineage that achieved sustained success at the highest level.
18	Erik Spoelstracoach	42	While Spoelstra has been a highly successful head coach with multiple championships, his coaching tree remains limited with few assistants advancing to NBA head coaching positions, notably Dan Craig (interim) and Chris Quinn (interim), but no established head coaches with sustained success.
18	Bill Fitchcoach	42	Bill Fitch had a long coaching career but produced minimal coaching tree impact, with few assistants advancing to notable head coaching positions and no significant lineage of successful disciples compared to the established anchors.
18	Rick Carlislecoach	42	Carlisle's coaching tree is limited with only a few assistants advancing to head coaching roles, most notably Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic) and Dwane Casey who worked under him briefly, but the tree lacks the depth and championship success of higher-tier coaching lineages.
18	Brad Stevenscoach	42	Stevens has minimal coaching tree as most of his tenure was spent coaching rather than developing assistants who became head coaches, with only a few former assistants reaching coordinator roles but not yet establishing themselves as successful NBA head coaches.
18	Tyronn Luecoach	42	Tyronn Lue has minimal coaching tree development as most of his career has been spent as a head coach rather than building a staff that produced multiple successful head coaches, with no prominent head coaching disciples emerging from his staff to date.
18	Jerry Sloancoach	42	Jerry Sloan's coaching tree produced primarily assistant coaches who remained in support roles, with only Jeff Hornacek achieving notable head coaching positions (Phoenix, New York) but without sustained success, and no other disciples becoming prominent head coaches or developing championship-caliber programs.
27	Monty Williamscoach	32	Monty Williams has not yet produced notable head coaching disciples, as his former assistants have primarily remained in assistant roles or are just beginning to emerge in the coaching ranks.
27	Rudy Tomjanovichcoach	32	Tomjanovich's coaching staff produced virtually no notable head coaching descendants, with no assistants developing into successful NBA head coaches or creating any meaningful coaching lineage.
27	Stan Van Gundycoach	32	Stan Van Gundy has not produced any notable head coaching disciples from his staff, with his assistants rarely advancing to NBA head coaching positions or achieving significant success in such roles.
27	K.C. Jonescoach	32	K.C. Jones, despite winning two championships as Celtics head coach (1984, 1986), produced no notable coaching tree with assistants who became successful NBA head coaches.
27	Billy Donovancoach	32	Billy Donovan has not produced any notable head coaching disciples from his NBA staff, with his coaching tree primarily existing at the college level where former Florida assistants like Anthony Grant and Donnie Jones became head coaches, but his NBA tenure (Bulls, Thunder) has yielded no significant coaching descendants.
32	Jeff Van Gundycoach	28	Jeff Van Gundy has produced no notable head coaching disciples, with his assistant coaches rarely advancing to NBA head coaching positions and none achieving significant success in that role.
32	Frank Vogelcoach	28	Frank Vogel has produced minimal coaching tree impact, with no assistants becoming prominent NBA head coaches and limited evidence of protégés leading their own successful programs.
34	Mike Malonecoach	12	Mike Malone has been a head coach since 2013 but has not yet produced any notable head coaching disciples, with his assistant coaches remaining largely in assistant roles or not advancing to prominent head coaching positions in the NBA.
34	Kenny Atkinsoncoach	12	As of now, Kenny Atkinson has no notable coaching tree, with no former assistants becoming NBA head coaches and limited time as a head coach himself to develop protégés.
34	Terry Stottscoach	12	Terry Stotts, primarily known as a head coach rather than a coaching tree progenitor, has not produced notable head coaching disciples or a significant lineage of successful assistants who became head coaches.
34	Brett Browncoach	12	Brett Brown has produced no notable head coaching disciples, with his assistant coaches largely remaining in assistant roles or moving to non-head coaching positions in the NBA.
34	Mike Montgomerycoach	12	Mike Montgomery's NBA coaching tenure (2004-2010 with Golden State) produced no notable coaching tree, as his primary legacy was in college basketball at Stanford and Cal where he developed few if any assistants who became NBA head coaches.
34	Tom Heinsohncoach	12	Tom Heinsohn's coaching tenure (1969-1978) produced no notable coaching tree, with no assistants or protégés going on to become successful NBA head coaches.
34	Nick Nursecoach	12	Nick Nurse, who became an NBA head coach in 2018, has not yet produced any notable head coaching disciples, as his relatively short NBA tenure and recent transition to the 76ers means his former assistants are still early in their careers with none having secured NBA head coaching positions.
34	Ime Udokacoach	12	Ime Udoka's coaching career is still in its early stages with minimal time to develop a coaching tree, having only been a head coach since 2021 with no notable assistant coaches who have moved on to head coaching positions.
34	Tom Izzocoach	12	Tom Izzo is primarily a college coach at Michigan State with no significant NBA coaching tree, as his assistants and former players have not become notable NBA head coaches.
34	Sergio Scariolocoach	12	Scariolo has primarily coached internationally and in the NBA G League with no notable assistants who have become NBA head coaches or established a meaningful coaching tree in the NBA context.
44	Darvin Hamcoach	5	Darvin Ham has only recently become a head coach (Lakers 2022-2024, Bucks 2024-present) and has not yet had time to develop assistant coaches who have moved into head coaching positions of their own.