Top 10 Highest Paid Basketball Managers In The World 2026

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Our rankings are based on publicly reported annual salaries for basketball head coaches across the NBA and NCAA as of the 2025-26 season. For NBA coaches, we relied on verified contract reports from major U.S. sports media outlets, including ESPN, The Athletic, and USA TODAY Sports. For college coaches, we used the most recent salary data published by the Pac-12 conference and Nevada Sports Net for the 2026-27 season. We prioritized confirmed annual compensation figures over total contract value. Where exact numbers are not publicly disclosed, we used the lowest credible reported estimate. Coaches are ranked strictly by their annual salary, from highest to lowest.
The Top 10 Highest Paid Basketball Managers In The World 2026:

Steve Kerr sits atop the global basketball coaching pay scale with an annual salary of approximately $17.5 million. His four-year, $70 million extension, signed in February 2024, was widely reported as the highest coaching contract in NBA history at the time. Kerr has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) and is credited with designing an offensive system built on spacing, ball movement, and three-point shooting that reshaped how the game is played at the professional level.
Kerr's compensation reflects more than just his trophy case. He took over a Warriors team in 2014 that had missed the playoffs for two straight seasons and turned it into a dynasty. His ability to manage superstar egos, integrate role players, and adapt his system to changing personnel has kept Golden State competitive even as the roster aged. The $17.5 million figure sets the benchmark for coaching compensation globally in the mid-2020s, outpacing all other publicly known basketball coaching contracts by a comfortable margin.
2. Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, earns an estimated $16 million per season under a five-year contract reported in July 2023 that is worth roughly $80 million. His five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and three Coach of the Year awards place him among the most decorated coaches in any sport. Popovich also serves as president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs, a dual role that adds to his value.
U.S. media described Popovich's deal as one of the richest coaching contracts ever when it was signed. The Spurs have not made the playoffs since 2019, but the organization's faith in Popovich remains absolute. He is in the process of developing a young roster built around Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 No. 1 draft pick. Popovich's estimated $16 million annual compensation places him just behind Kerr in reported salary among basketball coaches worldwide, a testament to his unmatched longevity and influence.
3. Erik Spoelstra

Erik Spoelstra signed an eight-year extension worth approximately $120 million in January 2024, putting his annual salary at roughly $15 million. At the time of signing, it was reported as the largest coaching contract in NBA history. Spoelstra has coached the Miami Heat to three NBA titles (2012, 2013, 2023) and multiple Finals appearances, earning a reputation as one of the league's elite tacticians and player-development coaches.
What makes Spoelstra's contract notable is that he has never coached a team that tanked for draft picks. The Heat have consistently overachieved during his tenure, making deep playoff runs with rosters that analysts often considered less talented than their opponents. His long-term extension reflects Miami's commitment to stability and recognizes his role in sustaining a perennial playoff contender. Spoelstra's $15 million per year places him in the top tier of global coaching salaries, just behind Kerr and Popovich.
4. Monty Williams

Monty Williams signed a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Detroit Pistons in June 2023, worth $13 million annually. At the time, it was described as the largest coaching contract in NBA history, signaling the league-wide escalation in coaching pay. Williams previously guided the Phoenix Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals and won the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year award.
Williams' Pistons tenure has been challenging. Detroit finished with the league's worst record in the 2023-24 season, but the organization viewed Williams as the right leader to develop a young core that includes Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. His $13 million per season, while later surpassed by Kerr, Popovich, and Spoelstra, remains one of the highest confirmed coaching salaries in any league. The deal demonstrates that even teams in rebuilding phases are willing to pay top dollar for proven leadership.
5. Mike Budenholzer

Mike Budenholzer agreed to a five-year deal with the Phoenix Suns in May 2024, with reports consistently placing his annual salary around $10 million. Budenholzer won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (2015, 2019). The Suns hired him to maximize a star-studded roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
Budenholzer's reputation for building efficient offensive systems and strong regular-season records made him an attractive candidate for a Suns team that has championship aspirations but struggled with consistency under previous coaching staffs. Reports around his hiring consistently placed his salary in the eight-figure range, aligning him with elite-tier coaching pay. His estimated $10 million per year puts him clearly above most NBA and international peers but below the very top contracts held by Kerr, Popovich, Spoelstra, and Williams.
6. Tyronn Lue

Tyronn Lue agreed to a five-year extension with the Los Angeles Clippers in May 2024 that was widely reported as elevating him into the top salary bracket among NBA coaches. Credible reporting places his annual compensation around or slightly above $10 million. Lue won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and is regarded as one of the league's best in-game adjusters and playoff tacticians.
Lue's value to the Clippers goes beyond wins and losses. He has managed a roster that has frequently dealt with injuries to its two stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (before George's departure in 2024). Lue kept the team competitive even when its best players were unavailable, earning respect from players and front office executives across the league. His extension was widely portrayed as recognition of his ability to navigate difficult circumstances while maintaining a winning culture.
7. Mark Few

Mark Few is the highest-paid publicly reported non-NBA basketball coach in the world, earning $3.028 million for the 2026-27 season, per Nevada Sports Net's report on Pac-12 and Mountain West men's basketball coaches. Few has turned Gonzaga into a perennial national title contender, with multiple NCAA Final Four appearances (2017, 2021) and over 20 consecutive NCAA tournament berths.
Few's compensation eclipses what many NBA assistants and international head coaches earn, a remarkable achievement for a coach at a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, that was not considered a basketball powerhouse before his arrival. He has turned down multiple NBA coaching opportunities to remain at Gonzaga, and the program has rewarded him with a salary that reflects his value. Even as a college coach, Few's 2026-27 compensation places him among the highest-paid basketball coaches globally when NBA coaches are excluded.
8. Brian Dutcher

Brian Dutcher earns $2.6 million for the 2026-27 season, per the same Nevada Sports Net report on Pac-12 coaching salaries. Dutcher led San Diego State to the 2023 NCAA national championship game, where the Aztecs lost to UConn. That run dramatically raised the program's national profile and put Dutcher on the map as one of college basketball's top coaches.
Dutcher's 2026-27 salary reflects both that Final Four run and San Diego State's move into a power-conference environment with the Pac-12. He has built a program known for defensive toughness and player development, consistently competing against programs with larger budgets and more recruiting resources. His confirmed $2.6 million annual pay places him just behind Few among college coaches and well above most other non-NBA coaching salaries.
9. Ben Jacobson

Ben Jacobson will earn $1.2 million for the 2026-27 season, per conference salary data. Jacobson is best known for his long tenure at Northern Iowa, where he led the Panthers to a memorable Sweet 16 run in 2010 that included a stunning upset of top-seeded Kansas. He was hired by Utah State in 2024 to replace Danny Sprinkle.
Jacobson's track record of overachieving with mid-major programs and consistent postseason appearances underpins his market value. At Northern Iowa, he won four Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles and three conference tournament championships. His $1.2 million salary at Utah State is significantly lower than Few's and Dutcher's but still ranks among the highest for non-NBA coaches, reflecting the premium that programs place on experienced head coaches with a history of winning.
10. Leon Rice

Leon Rice rounds out the top 10 with a $1.1 million salary for the 2026-27 season. Rice has elevated Boise State into a regular NCAA tournament participant, with multiple 20-plus-win seasons and conference titles during his tenure. He has been the Broncos' head coach since 2010, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches at a single program in the Mountain West.
Rice's $1.1 million compensation reflects sustained success at a program without traditional blue-blood resources. Boise State has become a consistent contender in the Mountain West under Rice, and the school has invested in keeping him as other programs have come calling. His confirmed compensation places him just below Jacobson among reported college coaching salaries, rounding out the top 10 when sorted by publicly available 2026 pay data.
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