NBA Coach of the Year: Who Deserves the Award in 2026?

It’s a two-man shootout for NBA Coach of the Year, according to FanDuel’s latest odds. JB Bickerstaff (-150) has the edge over Joe Mazzulla (+170). Mitch Johnson (+1000) and Charles Lee (+2000) are the other contenders, with Jordan Ott (+4000) falling off the pace with the Suns depleted by injuries.

Mazzulla is aiming to become the first Celtic to win the award since Bill Fitch in 1980. Bickerstaff is looking to join Ray Scott and Rick Carlisle as the only Pistons coaches to be named Coach of the Year.

Johnson could follow in Gregg Popovich’s footsteps, a three-time winner of the award, the most recent of which was in 2014. Lee, with the fourth-shortest odds, would be the first-ever Charlotte Hornets coach to be named Coach of the Year (Byron Scott won the award as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets).

Bickerstaff’s Detroit Leap

The Pistons were an ascendant team coming into this year, but being the East’s top seed seemed out of reach. Bickerstaff has orchestrated the league’s second-best defense and developed a functional offense, despite having just one true shot creator in Cade Cunningham.

Even with a lack of shooting, the Pistons have managed to be a top five team in clutch play. Much of that is down to Cunningham, but Bickerstaff also deserves credit for how he has balanced offense and defense and made use of Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson off-ball.

Detroit won 44 games last season and should finish this year in the high-50s. That is sort of leap that usually results in a Coach of the Year gong.

Remarkable Celtics

Mazzulla hasn’t taken Boston to an increase in wins, but their stark overachievement also checks a key box for Coach of the Year consideration.

Entering the year without Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis, Mazzulla has somehow got the Celtics in position for homecourt advantage in the first round.

It’s been a joint effort with Brad Stevens, who has packed the roster with serviceable-to-good role players, but Mazzulla has been the man that’s made it work on the hardwood.

What seemed like a lost year has turned into another season of contention. Middling play in the clutch can be used as a criticism of Mazzulla, but he deserves immense credit for the development of Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, and Hugo González.

Johnson’s Immediate Spurs Impact

The trouble with Johnson’s candidacy is voters are going to give the majority of credit to Victor Wembanyama and the talent on this Spurs roster. San Antonio’s surge, led by Wembanyama, is less surprising than what Boston and Detroit have achieved.

This is where the very premise of Coach of the Year is troubling. It often becomes an award for the most improved or most overachieving team rather than a direct look at what a coach has done to aid their team’s cause.

For instance, Johnson has marshalled two non-shooting guards in a way that many other coaches wouldn’t have done. He’s found ways for the Spurs to be highly effective even without Wembanyama (10-5 when he’s not played).

Too Little, Too Late for Charlotte

Charlotte dropping three of their last six games has hampered Lee’s chances. The Hornets have been the NBA’s biggest story in 2026, but it’s hard to see a coach that oversaw an 11-23 start winning this award.

Lee, though, has played a major role in the turnaround. He’s got Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, and Kon Knueppel buying in and moving the ball. On defense, the Hornets are better than their personnel might suggest.

Since the turn of the year, Charlotte leads the NBA in net rating. The defense is somehow sixth and the offense is the most dynamic in the league. Lee should be seen as a legitimate candidate, even with a team hovering around .500.

NBA Coach of the Year Pick

Any of the four would be deserving. It’s a particularly impressive group this year.

Mazzulla would get my vote if the season ended today, but Lee would have been my pick a couple of weeks ago, and I completely understand why Bickerstaff is favored for this award as of March 18.

It’s interesting Johnson isn’t at a shorter price with how close the Spurs have been to the defending champion Thunder. His work in San Antonio shouldn’t be taken for granted, even with the talent at his disposal.