After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to becoming the youngest number one seed in NBA history and the franchises first playoff appearance since 2020, head coach Mark Daigneault has cemented himself as one of the top coaches in the association.
In a recent poll conducted by CBS Sports, they ranked ‘every NBA coach for 2024-25 season’, and Mark Daigneault placed sixth on the list.
Daigneault’s career started as a manager for UCONN under Jim Calhoun in 2003 which allowed him to find his first coaching job at Holy Cross, where as an assistant, Daigneault helped the Crusaders finish as runner-ups in the Patriot League championship. Eventually, Daigneault would find himself working under former Thunder head coach and current Bulls head coach, Billy Donovan, at the University of Florida.
After obtaining three SEC titles and multiple Elite Eight appearances, Daigneault was named head coach of OKC’s G-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, in 2014. Helping send eight players to the NBA and receiving many Coach of the Month awards, Daigneault was finally named the Thunder’s head coach in 2019.
Here is what CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn had to say about the 2024/25 NBA Coach of the Year winner:
The five coaches ahead of him are champions who have all succeeded with multiple roster constructions. Daigneault is going to get there some day, but he hasn’t been to the conference finals yet. Still, his playoff debut was encouraging… The Thunder were one of only two teams (alongside Boston) to finish in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating last season. They were the youngest No. 1 seed ever. They were by far the NBA’s best “after timeout” offense last season, beating everyone else out by nearly two points per 100 possessions.
Thunder players like Chet Holmgren have high praise for their head coach and his desire to help his players succeed. It is obvious that the organization and the NBA as a whole have tremendous respect for Daigneault, and it will only be a matter of time until Daigneault adds ‘NBA Champion’ to his elite resume.
CBS Sports’ Top 30 coaches in the NBA:
1.Erik Spoelstra, Heat
2.Nick Nurse, 76ers
3.Rick Carlisle, Pacers
4.Steve Kerr, Warriors
5.Ty Lue, Clippers
6.Mark Daigneault, Thunder
7.Will Hardy, Jazz
8.Ime Udoka, Rockets
9.Mike Budenholzer, Suns
10.Tom Thibodeau, Knicks
11.Joe… pic.twitter.com/zk4LTCtnsN— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 16, 2024
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