Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Kenny Atkinson is the 2025 recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Saturday.
Five Head Coaches received votes; the following Head Coaches also received votes [listed alphabetically]: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons; Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder; Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets; and Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets.
“Kenny Atkinson has long been respected by his peers as an innovative and humble servant to the game,” said Indiana Pacers head coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle in a press release. “Congratulations to Kenny on a historic season along with this prestigious recognition by his peers.”
In his first season as head coach of the Cavaliers, Atkinson led the team to the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best record overall in the NBA.
The Cavaliers captured their first 60-plus win season since the 2009-2010 campaign and set a new franchise record with 30 road wins. The Atkinson-led Cavs finished with an overall record of 64-18, a 16-game improvement from last season and the team’s second-best mark in franchise history. Atkinson is also the first Head Coach in NBA history to take a new franchise to an undefeated record in their first 15 games.
The Cavaliers had three of the four longest win streaks in the NBA this year (16, 15, and 12), making them only the second team in NBA history to have three separate 12-game winning streaks in one season (Dallas Mavericks, 2006-2007).
“Coaching the game of basketball has been an amazing journey for me and my family, and to be recognized by my peers for a job well done this season is extremely humbling,” said Atkinson in a press release. “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching some amazing players over my career, and I would not be in this position without their commitment and sacrifice for the greater good of themselves and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’m also grateful to our assistant coaches and support staff, whose tireless work ethic allows me to coach to my highest potential. Individual accolades are special, but I must give a ton of credit to Koby Altman for assembling the collection of talent we have in Cleveland. A special thank you as well to Dan Gilbert for consistently providing incredible resources and assistance in our chase for NBA Championships.”
Cavs begin their playoff journey on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat.
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