List of Oklahoma City Thunder head coaches

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The Thunder play at the Paycom Center since the 2008-09 season. Paycom Center, Oklahoma City (Sep. 2021).jpg
The Thunder play at the Paycom Center since the 2008–09 season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Paycom Center. [1] The Thunder is owned by Professional Basketball Club LLC with Sam Presti as its general manager. The team was formed in 1967 as the Seattle SuperSonics. After spending 41 seasons in Seattle, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. Owner Clay Bennett, who purchased the team in 2006, sought to get public funding for a new arena in Seattle, or a major renovation of the KeyArena in 2007. After failing to do so, he decided to move the team to Oklahoma City. [2] Seattle sued Bennett's group to enforce the lease that required the team to stay until 2010. The two sides reached a $45 million settlement to pay off the team's lease with KeyArena in July 2008. [3] [4]

Contents

There have been 18  head coaches for the Thunder franchise. The franchise won its only NBA championship in the 1979 NBA Finals while coached by Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens. Wilkens is the only member of the franchise to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. [5] He is also the franchise's all-time leader in regular season games coached and won, playoff games coached and won. Wilkens, Paul Westphal, Nate McMillan and Bob Weiss formerly played for the team in Seattle. [6] [7] [8] Scott Brooks in 2009–10, and Mark Daigneault in 2023–24, are the only coaches to have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award with the franchise. [9]

Key

GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
Win% Winning percentage
#Number of coaches
*Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the SuperSonics/Thunder
†Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2023–24 season.

#NameTermGCWLWin%GCWLWin%AchievementsReference
Regular seasonPlayoffs
Seattle SuperSonics
Al Bianchi 1967–1969 16453111.323000– [10]
Lenny Wilkens † 1969–1972 (as player-coach)246121125.492000–One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history [11] [5]
Tom Nissalke 1972–1973 451332.289000– [12]
Bucky Buckwalter 1973 371324.351000– [13]
Bill Russell † 1973–1977 328162166.4941569.400 [14]
Bob Hopkins * 1977 22517.227000– [15]
Lenny Wilkens † 1977–1985 634357277.563693732.536 NBA championship (1979) [5]
Bernie Bickerstaff 1985–1990 410202208.493271215.444 [16]
K. C. Jones 1990–1992 1185959.500523.400 [17]
Bob Kloppenburg 1992 422.500000– [18]
George Karl † 1992–1998 534384150.719804040.500 [19]
Paul Westphal 1998–2000 1477671.517523.400 [20]
Nate McMillan 2000–2005 395212183.5371688.500 [21]
Bob Weiss 2005–2006 301317.433000– [22]
Bob Hill 2006–2007 1345381.396000– [23]
P. J. Carlesimo 2007–2008 822062.244000– [24]
Oklahoma City Thunder
P. J. Carlesimo 2008 13112.077000– [24]
Scott Brooks 2008–2015 545338207.620733934.534 NBA Coach of the Year (2009–10) [9] [25]
Billy Donovan 2015–2020 400243157.608411823.439 [26]
Mark Daigneault 2020–present236143175.4501064.600NBA Coach of the Year (2023–24)

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Paycom Center.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a professional American basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It plays in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise was the Seattle SuperSonics from 1967 to 2008 until relocated to Oklahoma City. The team plays its home games at the Paycom Center. The Thunder is owned by Professional Basketball Club LLC and coached by Mark Daigneault, with Sam Presti as its General Manager. All records and achievements shown have been accomplished in Oklahoma City.

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References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "City Preparing Ford Center For NBA Team". KOCO Oklahoma City. Hearst Television Inc. July 3, 2008. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  2. ↑ Johns, Greg (November 2, 2007). "Bennett says Sonics going to Oklahoma". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Seattle Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  3. ↑ "SuperSonics, Seattle reach last-minute settlement". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. July 3, 2008. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Sonics, city reach settlement". The Seattle Times. July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 "Lenny Wilkens Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Lenny Wilkens Playing Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Nate McMillan Playing Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 21, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Bob Weiss Playing Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Al Bianchi Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Top 10 Coaches in NBA History". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Tom Nissalke Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Bucky Buckwalter Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Bill Russell Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Bob Hopkins Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Bernie Bickerstaff Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  17. ↑ "K.C. Jones Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Bob Kloppenburg Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  19. ↑ "George Karl Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Paul Westphal Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Nate McMillan Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Bob Weiss Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  23. ↑ "Bob Hill Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  24. 1 2 "P.J. Carlesimo Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  25. ↑ "Scott Brooks Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Billy Donovan Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.

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