Who are the longest-tenured coaches in NBA history? - ESPN

While many franchises become a revolving door of head coaches, some organizations value continuity and stick with their sideline general for the long haul. Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs for 29 seasons before stepping down in 2025, ending his legendary career with five NBA championships and three Coach of the Year awards.

Let's take a look at the longest-tenured head coaches in NBA history.

Gregg Popovich, Spurs, 29 seasons

Popovich joined the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach in 1988. Then, after a brief stint as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, he returned to the Spurs as general manager and vice president of basketball operations. In 1996, Popovich fired head coach Bob Hill after a 3-15 start and decided to take over head-coaching duties. He led San Antonio to five NBA championships, winning three Coach of the Year awards. Popovich stepped down as head coach in 2025 and transitioned into a front office role. Popovich is the NBA's career wins leader with 1,422 regular-season victories.

Jerry Sloan, Jazz, 23 seasons

As a player, Sloan was a two-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Team selection whose No. 4 is retired by the Chicago Bulls. After his playing days, Sloan would get his first head-coaching gig with the Bulls from 1979 to 1982. However, he's most known for leading the Utah Jazz, whom he coached from 1988 to 2011. He was named one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history as part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team and earned the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Sloan has the sixth-most career wins (including playoffs) in NBA history and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Red Auerbach, Celtics, 16 seasons

Auerbach played a key role