Monty Williams and the Pistons have altered the NBA coaching market.
The 51-year-old agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million contract with Detroit, giving him the largest coaching deal in league history, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The contract includes options for Years 7 and 8, and the total value could reach nearly $100 million based on incentives, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Williams now finds himself at the top of the list of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. Which coaches are sitting behind him?
MORE: Why the Raptors are hiring Darko Rajakovic as head coach
Who are the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA?
Before Williams signed his contract with the Pistons, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had the highest average annual salary in the NBA, according to a Sportico report from December 2022. He earns $13 million per season.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is a step below Williams and Popovich at $9.5 million, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is sitting at $8.5 million. However, both Kerr and Spoelstra only have one year left on their current deals, so they will likely receive significant raises in the near future.
"Both coaches, when you talk to owners and executives around the league, if they were on the open market, might be worth or might be able to get what the new NFL coach in Denver, Sean Payton, got, in the neighborhood of $20 million a year," Wojnarowski said before Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
"Now, it's hard to imagine Erik Spoelstra leaving a Miami organization where he started 28 years ago as a video intern. ... But Steve Kerr's gonna be a different situation. His president and [general manager], Bob Myers, announced last week that he's leaving. This is an aging roster, and the worldview for Steve Kerr may look different."
| Coach | Average annual salary |
| Monty Williams | $13.08 million |
| Gregg Popovich | $13 million |
| Steve Kerr | $9.5 million |
| Erik Spoelstra | $8.5 million |
Longest-tenured NBA head coaches
Popovich is by far the longest-tenured coach in the NBA. He has held the job in San Antonio for nearly three decades.
Spoelstra, Kerr and Michael Malone have each been with their franchises for at least eight seasons and won a combined seven titles.
| Coach | First season with team |
| Gregg Popovich | 1996-97 (Spurs) |
| Erik Spoelstra | 2008-09 (Heat) |
| Steve Kerr | 2014-15 (Warriors) |
| Michael Malone | 2015-16 (Nuggets) |
Full list of NBA head coaches
Here are the coaches for all 30 NBA teams:
| Team | Coach |
| Atlanta Hawks | Quin Snyder |
| Boston Celtics | Joe Mazzulla |
| Brooklyn Nets | Jacque Vaughn |
| Charlotte Hornets | Steve Clifford |
| Chicago Bulls | Billy Donovan |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | J.B. Bickerstaff |
| Dallas Mavericks | Jason Kidd |
| Denver Nuggets | Michael Malone |
| Detroit Pistons | Monty Williams |
| Golden State Warriors | Steve Kerr |
| Houston Rockets | Ime Udoka |
| Indiana Pacers | Rick Carlisle |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Tyronn Lue |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Darvin Ham |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Taylor Jenkins |
| Miami Heat | Erik Spoelstra |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Adrian Griffin |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Chris Finch |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Willie Green |
| New York Knicks | Tom Thibodeau |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Mark Daigneault |
| Orlando Magic | Jamahl Mosley |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Nick Nurse |
| Phoenix Suns | Frank Vogel |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Chauncey Billups |
| Sacramento Kings | Mike Brown |
| San Antonio Spurs | Gregg Popovich |
| Toronto Raptors | Darko Rajakovic |
| Utah Jazz | Will Hardy |
| Washington Wizards | Wes Unseld Jr. |