Ime Udoka, the head coach of the Houston Rockets, is the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year at +800 odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Two-time winner Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks and Joe Mazzulla from the defending champion Boston Celtics are second co-favorites at +1000 odds.
Mark Daigneault won the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year (COY) with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, and he’s +1300 odds to win it again, even though no coach has ever won this honor in consecutive seasons.
| Coach | Team | Coach of the Year Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Ime Udoka | Rockets | +800 |
| Tom Thibodeau | Knicks | +1000 |
| Joe Mazzulla | Celtics | +1000 |
| Jamahl Mosley | Magic | +1200 |
| Mark Daigneault | Thunder | +1300 |
| Taylor Jenkins | Grizzlies | +1400 |
| Erik Spoelstra | Heat | +1400 |
| Nick Nurse | 76ers | +1500 |
| Chris Finch | Timberwolves | +1500 |
| Michael Malone | Nuggets | +1800 |
| Gregg Popovich | Spurs | +1700 |
| Kenny Atkinson | Cavaliers | +2000 |
| Willie Green | Pelicans | +2200 |
| JJ Redick | Lakers | +2500 |
| Mike Budenholzer | Suns | +2500 |
| Rick Carlisle | Pacers | +3000 |
| Charles Lee | Hornets | +3000 |
| Jason Kidd | Mavericks | +3500 |
| Doc Rivers | Bucks | +3500 |
| Mike Brown | Kings | +3500 |
| Quin Snyder | Hawks | +3500 |
| Tyronn Lue | Clippers | +4000 |
| Steve Kerr | Warriors | +4000 |
| Darko Rajakovic | Raptors | +5000 |
| Will Hardy | Jazz | +5000 |
| J.B. Bickerstaff | Pistons | +6000 |
| Chauncey Billups | Trail Blazers | +12500 |
| Brian Keefe | Wizards | +20000 |
| Jordi Fernández | Nets | +20000 |
| Billy Donovan | Bulls | +20000 |
Ime Udoka +800
You can make a strong argument that Udoka should’ve won the 2024 Coach of the Year. He led the Rockets to a 41-41 record after 22 wins the previous season. The Rockets won 42 games in the previous two seasons combined, and Udoka nearly topped that in his first season in Houston.
The Rockets have a win total of 43.5 o/u. If Udoka flirts with 55-56 victories, then he’ll be a legit contender for COY. If he can top out in the upper 50s or even reach 60 wins, then he should win it outright and NBA betting sites seem to agree.
Tom Thibodeau +1000
Thibodeau is a two-time COY winner, and last won with the Knicks back in 2021. Thibodeau is looking to join an exclusive club with three other three-time winners, including Pat Riley, Greg Popovich, and Don Nelson.
When Thibs won his second COY a couple of seasons ago, the Knicks were the surprise team because no one expected them to make the playoffs, let alone secure the #4 seed and advance to the conference semifinals. The Knicks enter the 2024-25 season with huge expectations after the big trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. They have a somewhat high win total of 54.5 games, so Thibs would have to win nearly 70 games for a legit shot.
Joe Mazzulla +1000
Mazzulla won a championship with the Celtics last season in only his second year as a head coach with a 64-18 record. It’s interesting to note that there is not a single team projected to win 60-plus games this season, but the Celtics have the highest win total on the board at 58.5 o/u. The Celtics must head north of 70-plus victories and challenge the NBA record for most wins in a season for Mazzulla to have a shot at winning COY.
Jamahl Mosley +1200
The Orlando Magic have been gradually improving since the arrival of Jamahl Mosley as head coach. Mosley had a rough baptism as a rookie head coach with just 22 wins in 2021-22. He made a big leap two seasons ago with 34 victories, and continued his upward trajectory with a 47-35 record last season. The Magic won the Southeast Division title and secured the #5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Mosley is an ideal candidate to win COY. The Magic have a win total of 47.5 o/u, and they have a young team that has not reached their ceiling. If the Magic can compete for the #1 seed in the east and win 60 games, then Mosley will be a front runner to win COY.
Mark Daigneault +1300
History is against Mark Daigneault. If he wins COY, he’ll be the first head coach to win this award in back-to-back seasons. The Thunder locked up the #1 playoff seed in the Western Conference last season with a 57-25 record, which was 17 more wins than the previous season. The Thunder have the second-highest projected win total on the board at 56.5 o/u, so Daigneault would have to win over 70 games to persuade voters to vote for him as COY in consecutive seasons.
Taylor Jenkins +1400
In the 2021-22 season, the Memphis Grizzlies jumped from 39 wins to 56 wins in one year, but Taylor Jenkins was the COY runner-up behind Monty Williams. The Grizzlies won only 27 games in 2023-24 and finished 13th in the conference due to injuries to several starters, including Ja Morant. Things were so grim in Memphis that 33 different players were on the roster last season.
The Grizzlies have a win total of 47.5 o/u, but they’re overlooked coming into this season because they were decimated with injuries last season. If Morant can stay healthy and out of trouble, the Grizzlies have a chance to compete for a #2 or #3 seed out west. If the Grizzlies hit 58 or more wins, then Jenkins will be in contention for COY.
Willie Green +2200
The Pelicans know their success is linked to the health of Zion Williamson. If Zion is healthy, then they could be in the top tier of teams in the west and head coach Willie Green will be a popular pick to win COY. The Pelicans won 49 games last season, yet they have a win total of 46.5 o/u.
JJ Redick +2500
Rookie head coaches do not win the NBA Coach of the Year in the 21st Century. Doc Rivers was the last first-year coach to earn COY honors back in the 1999-00 season. JJ Redick takes on the role of newest ringleader of the circus known as the Los Angeles Lakers. Reddick has no head-coaching experience, but the front office seemed more concerned with keeping LeBron James happy by drafting his son. Bronny still needed more time to develop his skills in college before he went pro. Bronny will be one of many headaches that Reddick must navigate for the Lakers this upcoming season.
Mike Budenholzer +2500
Mike Budenholzer is a two-time COY winner with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015 and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019. The Suns won 49 games last season but fired head coach Frank Vogel after an embarrassing first-round sweep in the playoffs. The Suns enter this season with a win total of 47.5. If Budenholzer can win 62 or more games and lock up the #1 seed in a top-heavy Western Conference, then he’ll have the inside track to win a third COY and join the exclusive club of three-time winners.
Rick Carlisle +3000
The Pacers have a win total of 46.5, which seems low considering they won 47 games last season and advanced to the conference finals. Then again, it’s all about optics, and the Eastern Conference is much stronger this season. The Celtics are the team to beat, and the Knicks and 76ers made big offseason moves. The Bucks are always in the conversation with the Greek Freak. That lets the Pacers operate in the background and fly under the radar to sneak into the top seed in the east. Carlisle is +3000 odds to win COY, but this is probably the best value on the board at 30-1.
