In April, the Denver Nuggets were fourth in the Western Conference, and Michael Malone was preparing his team for another playoff run, less than two years removed from leading the club to its first NBA title. But with three games left in the regular season, the franchise’s all-time winningest coach was fired, sending shockwaves around the NBA.

Coaching in the NBA has never been more tenuous, with just two coaches hired in their current jobs before September 2020. But the pay has never been better. A half-dozen coaches got extensions this summer worth between $8 million and $11 million per year, and another coach (Mike Brown) landed a new job with the New York Knicks at an average annual value (AAV) of $10 million.

The top tier of NBA coaching pay includes three title-winning bosses, led by Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) with a $17.5 million AAV ahead of Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) and Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers) at $15 million. Kerr (two years), Spoelstra (eight years) and Lue (five years) all signed contract extensions in 2024 that roughly doubled the AAV of their prior deals.

Kerr’s four championships are the most among active coaches after Gregg Popovich stepped down as the San Antonio Spurs’ coach in May. Coaches across the major sports leagues rarely enter the final year of their deal without an extension, and it is even more unusual for those of Kerr’s stature. Kerr, who also won five titles as a player, said he’s OK with his status.

“I’m very comfortable going into the season with a year left,” Kerr told ESPN in September. “I’m so aligned with [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and [owner] Joe [Lacob]. We talked about this—there’s no reason for discussion or concern. This is kind of a point in our relationship where let’s just see how it is at the end of the year.”

Kerr might be comfortable with the Warriors, but a ring does not ensure job security, as Malone found out with the Nuggets. Since 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers (Lue), Los Angeles Lakers (Frank Vogel) and Milwaukee Bucks (Mike Budenholzer) also fired their respective coaches two years after a championship.

Tom Thibodeau led the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000, but it wasn’t enough for Knicks brass, which fired Thibs in early June, days after the Indiana Pacers knocked them out of the playoffs.

The Knicks took an unusual path to finding Thibodeau’s replacement by requesting permission from at least five teams to speak to their current under-contract head coach. All five teams rejected the request. Three of those coaches inked contract extensions over the summer at an increased AAV, including Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) and Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets).

The Knicks ultimately signed Brown to a four-year contract worth $10 million annually. The Sacramento Kings had fired Brown 12 months ago despite back-to-back winning seasons—the first for the franchise in two decades—and two NBA Coach of the Year awards, including the only unanimous win in 2023. The Kings had given Brown a three-year contract extension six months prior worth $8.5 million annually.

These jobs have evolved from ones focused solely on X’s and O’s to CEOs of basketball organizations that require more management and marketing responsibilities for franchises that are worth $5.5 billion on average—15x what they were valued at 15 years ago. Yet owners show little patience with the faces of these franchises when on-court losses pile up, and it is easier to swap out a coach then turn over a player roster. Half of the NBA’s 30 coaches have been in place for less than two years.

The NBA coaching market was reset in 2023 when the Detroit Pistons hired Monty Williams on a six-year, $78.5 million contract. Before Williams, only Popovich earned $10 million per year. This season, nine coaches are earning at least $10 million, up from eight last year, despite the retirement of Pop and firings of Malone, Thibodeau and Budenholzer, who all had deals with AAVs of at least $10 million.

The bottom level of NBA coaching salaries is roughly $4 million per year, and even with salaries up substantially, all of these coaches are arguably still underpaid if compared to player pay. There are 58 NBA players earning at least $30 million this season and 170 at $10 million, according to Spotrac.

The top 10 coaches will earn an estimated $120 million this season in base pay, versus $158 million for the highest-paid NFL coaches. Coach contracts, which are almost always fully guaranteed, also typically have some kind of bonuses built in for playoff performance. The salary figures are based on conversations with teams, agents and executive recruiters, as well as published reports.