About the Coach of the Year Award
The NBA Coach of the Year award (officially the Red Auerbach Trophy) has been given annually since 1962-63. It recognizes the coach judged to have contributed the most to their team's success. Voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
The award is famously unreliable at predicting championship success. Many COY winners are fired within a few years, and the award often signals a team's peak rather than sustained excellence. Gregg Popovich, who won 5 championships, won COY only 3 times -- suggesting the award values surprise over sustained greatness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has won the most Coach of the Year awards?
Gregg Popovich holds the record with 3 COY awards (2003, 2012, 2014). Don Nelson also won 3 times.
Has a COY winner ever been fired the same year?
Dwane Casey won COY for the 2017-18 season and was fired weeks later after the Raptors were swept in the second round. George Karl was also fired after winning in 2013.
Does winning COY predict a championship?
Rarely. Only a handful of coaches have won COY and the championship in the same season. The award tends to go to coaches of surprise teams rather than the eventual champion.