Now that the new year is upon us, it’s time to take a quick look at the 2026 NBA Coach of the Year (COTY) race. J.B. Bickerstaff from the Detroit Pistons is the betting favorite to win the COTY at +220 odds according to BetMGM. Mitch Johnson, in his first full season with the San Antonio Spurs, is second on the awards board at +310 odds.
Other coaches in contention for COTY include Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder) at +650, Jordan Ott (Phoenix Suns) at +850, Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics) at +1300, Darko Rajakovic (Toronto Raptors) at +1400, Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) at +1600, Mike Brown (New York Knicks) at +2500, JJ Redick (L.A. Lakers) at +3000, and Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets) +3500.
J.B. in the Big D: J.B. Bickerstaff +220
J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach of the Cavs in 2019 shortly after LeBron James left Cleveland for a second time. He turned around the fledgling team with three consecutive playoff appearances. Despite his regular-season success, the Cavs fired Bickerstaff for his inability to win in the postseason, which included an 8-15 record and two first-round exits.
Bickerstaff joined the Detroit Pistons in 2024 and revitalized a franchise that had posted seven losing seasons in the previous eight years. The Pistons won only 14 games before Bickerstaff took over, and he instantly transformed the culture. He led them to 44 victories in his first season in Detroit and ended a five-season playoff drought by clinching the #6 seed in the East. Although the Pistons finally won their first playoff game since 2008, they were eliminated by the Knicks in the first round.
In his second season with the Pistons, Bickerstaff guided them to first place in the Eastern Conference as they battled the Knicks for the #1 seed at the start of 2026. If the Pistons can fend off the Knicks in the second half of the season, Bickerstaff will remain a betting favorite to win the COTY.
Pops Successor: Mitch Johnson +310
After a couple of stints in the NBA G League and in Europe as a player, Mitch Johnson pivoted to coaching. He joined San Antonio’s developmental team, the Austin Spurs, as an assistant coach in 2016 and led them to a G League Championship. Johnson quickly worked his way up through the Spurs organization. As an assistant under Greg Popovich, Johnson was mentored by one of the NBA’s greatest coaches.
Johnson took over as interim head coach when Popovich suffered a stroke last season. When Popovich stepped down and retired due to health reasons, the Spurs promoted Johnson to head coach.
Mitch Johnson continues Popovich’s winning philosophy of selfless and positionless basketball that also focuses on fundamentals and a stifling defense. He instantly built strong bonds with his young players like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and rookie Dylan Harper. Newly added veterans like De’Aaron Fox have also bought into Johnson’s approach. As a result, the Spurs were the runner-up in the NBA Cup Final and defeated the defending champion Thunder three times in a two-week span. They’re currently the #2 seed in the Western Conference and continue to improve every game. We’d love Johnson to win COTY at +310 odds.
OKC King: Mark Daigneault +650
Daigneault won the COTY two seasons ago, and he led the Thunder to a championship last season. Now entering Daigneault’s sixth season as a head coach, the Thunder are still the team to beat and the consensus favorite to win consecutive NBA titles. Daigneault is third on the awards board at +650 odds, but a long shot unless the Thunder win 70-plus games.
Phoenix Rising: Jordan Ott +850
Jordan Ott was a popular head coaching candidate last summer due to his work ethic, communication skills, and ability to develop prospects. He got his start as a graduate assistant under Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Ott was later mentored by Kenny Atkinson, last season’s COTY winner, after spending six seasons as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. Ott was reunited with his mentor last season and collaborated on one of the NBA’s most lethal offenses when Atkinson took over as head coach of the Cleveland Cavs.
When the Suns hired Ott, he became the fourth head coach in four seasons. They fired Monty Williams in 2023 and then experienced consecutive one-and-done seasons with Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer.
The Suns were among the bottom three of the NBA win totals board during the preseason (as low as 30.5 Over/Under). Yet, the Suns have exceeded initial estimates under Ott with a 19-13 record through the first 32 games of the season. If the season ended today, the Suns would earn a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament as the seventh-place team.
Ott revamped the team’s defense, and they now have an aggressive and attacking style. Their offense, led by Devin Booker, looks chaotic at first glance. But like the Cavs last season, Ott instilled organized chaos with highly flexible offensive options and impeccable court spacing.
Boston Reprise: Joe Mazzulla +1300
The Celtics thought this would be a rebuilding year the moment Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the playoffs last season. The front office broke up key pieces from their last championship team and retained only Jaylen Brown and a couple of role players.
Joe Mazzulla loves a challenge, and he didn’t freak out with Tatum sidelined. After a shaky 5-7 start, the Celtics got hot in December and were vying for the #3 seed in the East with the Raptors. Mazzulla relies on a guard-heavy lineup with trusted vets like Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard. He also started unknowns like Neemias Queta, Josh Minott, and Jordan Walsh. Newly added Anfernee Simons embraced the role of sixth man.
Oh, Canada: Darko Rajakovic +1400
Darko Rajakovic is a coaching wunderkind from Serbia who began his career at 16 years old. He paid his dues in Serbia, Spain, and the NBA’s G League. The Thunder promoted him to an assistant coach in 2014.
The cerebral Rajakovic also published academic papers on the strategic intricacies of the pick-and-roll offense. He also earned a sterling reputation for his dedication to developing young players, which is why he was poached by other organizations like the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.
The Raptors hired Rajakovic to replace Nick Nurse in 2023. After two tough losing seasons in Toronto, the hard work is finally paying off, especially with the development of Scottie Barnes. After missing the postseason in four out of the previous five seasons, the Raptors have a winning record as they compete for the #3 seed in the East.
South Beach Spo: Erik Spoelstra +1600
The start of this season was a wild one for Eric Spoelstra. He dealt with a gambling scandal involving one of his players, Terry Rozier, and his house burned down shortly after. NBA conspiracy theorists love to think the two incidents are connected.
When it comes down to the Xs and Os of basketball, Spoelstra is highly regarded as one of the premier coaches in the NBA. Even though he won two titles with the Heat, he never won COTY honors.
After Popovich retired, Spoelstra was widely considered the best coach in the league. Spoelstra consistently cobbles together a competitive team even though the roster isn’t loaded with superstars like the halcyon days of “The Heatles” and their Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh), while their current starters have been unlucky with injuries, including Tyler Herro.
After surviving the December doldrums, the Heat ended 2025 on a high note. They’re in first place in the Southeast division, and they got Herro back in the lineup.
MSG Maestro: Mike Brown +2500
Mike Brown won the COTY twice during his tenure with the Cavs in 2009 and with the Sacramento Kings in 2023. If he wins a third award, he’ll join an exclusive group of legendary coaches and three-time COTY winners like Pat Riley, Don Nelson, and Popovich. Brown won four NBA titles as an assistant coach with the Spurs (under Popovich) and the Golden State Warriors (under Steve Kerr).
The Knicks hired Brown to help them win their first NBA title in over 50 years. The big argument against Brown as a COTY contender is that he inherited a solid squad that advanced to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau for several reasons, including his unwillingness to use his bench and develop younger players. In the first third of this season, Brown has not been shy to use an 11-man rotation at times. Starters on the Knicks are no longer logging 40+ minutes a game every night. That should help preserve their health by the time the playoffs roll around.
The Knicks currently occupy the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’d have to seize the top seed and compete for the best record in the NBA if Brown expects to win a third COTY.
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