After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first NBA Championship in more than a decade, Head Coach Mark Daigneault isn’t dwelling on the celebration. In an exclusive sit-down with Toby Rowland, Daigneault shared what life has been like at home after a whirlwind year, how the team plans to stay grounded heading into training camp, and why success begins by “rebuilding the fundamentals.”

Family Life and Perspective

Toby Rowland: Coach, quite a year for the family, your wife wins a national championship, you win the NBA title. What’s it been like around the house?

Mark Daigneault: We have a three-and-a-half-year-old and a two-and-a-half-year-old. Not a lot of talk of anything other than whatever’s in front of them, they dominate the house.

Reflecting on the Championship

Toby Rowland: Was there a moment this offseason when the reality of what you accomplished really sank in?

Daigneault: Honestly, we were just trying to get the kids to finish dinner. We all enjoyed it, the parade, the celebrations, the sentiment around town. The fans put the wind at our backs and stuck with us through the rebuild, so to share it with them was incredible. But at some point that’s got to end, and you have to get back to work. A new season’s upon us, and we’re focused on that.

Staying Humble

Rowland: You’re extremely humble. Has there been a time when you said, “Holy cow, I just coached an NBA championship team”?

Daigneault: Anytime I think about my life, it’s holy cow. Not just for coaching in the NBA in a great organization, but because I have a wonderful family, great parents, sister, wife Ashley, and our kids. I have a wonderful life that I’m tremendously grateful for.

Chasing Another Title

Rowland: How do you do it again?

Daigneault: By not focusing on the outcome. There are so many things that can pull you into the past after success or into the future chasing more. Your best isn’t in either; it’s in the moment. Right now, we’re at the bottom of the mountain again, getting ready for training camp. We have to attack that process intentionally.

Learning From Others

Rowland: Have you reached out to another coach who’s repeated as a champion for advice?

Daigneault: We’re continuously learning, always talking to people we can learn from. But we’re confident in our principles and the foundation we’ve built. It’s more about staying rooted in our process than searching for some external answer. We’ve navigated new situations before by relying on that.

Areas for Team Improvement

Rowland: Where can this team be better this year?

Daigneault: We audit everything, player development, offense, defense, the program as a whole. But the trap after success is assuming the things that made you successful will just be there. You have to rebuild habits and sharpen fundamentals every year. We’re committed to reinvesting in what made us successful and improving from there.

Coaching Growth

Rowland: What about you personally? Where can Mark Daigneault improve?

Daigneault: It’s always tied to the team. My goal is to add as much value as possible by meeting the team and individual players where they are. I don’t think about improvement in a vacuum, it’s about being the best coach I can be for this group, right now.