The plan is for assistant coaches Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Cam Hodges, Mike Moser, and Will Dunn to all return to the Rockets next season, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
According to Sportico and to the reported “eight-figure salary” for Ime Udoka, the Rockets’ coach is now among the top five salaries for NBA coaches with half of this list now either fired or retired. pic.twitter.com/VlqYVF9VF3
— Chris Thomasson – KIII Sports (@ChrisThomasson7) June 19, 2025
With a 52-30 record and the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings, the young and improving Houston Rockets exceeded most reasonable expectations in the NBA’s 2024-25 season.
One year earlier, the Rockets were 41-41 and No. 11 in the West. That type of annual growth helped head coach Ime Udoka finish third in Coach of the Year voting, and it recently led to the 47-year-old getting a contract extension with the franchise.
Based on that success, other teams around the league would undoubtedly love to have portions of Houston’s braintrust. Assistant coach Royal Ivey, for example, was pursued by multiple NBA teams this offseason.
But it appears Ivey is staying put, and so, too, is the rest of Udoka’s staff. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko writes:
Besides Udoka, a number of his assistants attracted interest around the league for various positions, but Houston is expected to head into the 2025-26 season with the same staff, team sources say.
As currently constructed, Udoka’s staff of coaching assistants includes Ben Sullivan, Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Cam Hodges, Mike Moser, and Will Dunn. Willie Cruz is director of athletic performance, while Jason Biles is Houston’s head athletic trainer and director of athlete care and science.
Many of those staff members will work with players in the offseason, in an effort to hit the ground running when training camp opens in late September or early October.
Entering Udoka’s third season, it appears continuity and internal growth will again be a theme for Udoka’s young squad — and that extends to the coaches leading them, as well. All were hired by Udoka in the 2023 offseason, with many having had past experience working alongside Udoka during either his head-coaching stint in Boston (2021-22) or at one of his previous assistant jobs.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta rewarded Udoka with both an extension and a raise for his exemplary work. While assistant salaries are typically not disclosed, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if many receive similar treatment, based on the undeniable success of their tenure to date.
Prior to the arrival of Udoka and his staff in April 2023, the Stephen Silas-led Rockets had combined to win 59 games in the previous three seasons, which all featured last-place finishes in the West. In the past two seasons, they’ve won 93 games, with player development and elite defense among the clear points of emphasis and growth.