5 former NBA Coaches that deserve another opportunity

The NBA offseason is somewhat underway, and coaching changes are happening all around. Some teams, like the Kings, and Grizzlies have gotten their future head coach already, but there still may be more openings to come as we get deeper into the offseason. The 5 coaches in this list, I believe, 100% deserve another chance to prove themselves at the helm of an NBA team.

(Taylor Jenkins, Mike Budenholzer, and Michael Malone won’t be on this list since they were all recently fired)

5. Dave Joerger

Dave Joerger hasn’t been at the helm of an NBA team since 2019, and his name has been pretty quiet these past few years. He is currently an assistant under Doc Rivers on the Milwaukee Bucks. Who knows that Doc’s future is with Milwaukee, so Joerger might be looking for a new job here soon. From 2013 to 2016, Joerger was the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and led them to 3 straight playoff appearances. Then he went to Sacramento and didn’t do much in 3 seasons and was then fired. It isn’t his fault that so many great coaches have been fired from the Kings, which may be the hardest job in all of the NBA due to incompetent ownership and management. Joerger has been linked to the Suns head coaching search as one of the candidates. It will be interesting to see how the Suns' search goes and if Joerger could land another job.

4. Nate McMillan

The former Hawks, Blazers, Sonics, and Pacers head coach is probably among one of the best candidates available if a team is looking for a guy with experience. McMillan is someone who is an average NBA coach. He isn’t someone who would be a top-tier coach in the league, but he will always put together a solid team and at least be average. McMillan was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2021 to 2023 and even helped lead them to the ECF, a place where they have not been since. He should never have been fired from Atlanta; management was the issue. He was a coach who was given an average roster and produced above-average results. Since he was fired in Atlanta, they have been a mess, and it just proves more that he was not the issue. McMillan, who is a current assistant on the Lakers, still has a lot left in the tank and 100% deserves a chance to be a head coach once again.

3. Scott Brooks

The former Thunder and Wizards coach is someone who also has over a decade of head coaching experience. He has had some solid success with a COTY Award and a Finals appearance as head coach. After Oklahoma City, he went to the Wizards and was never really given a fair roster to compete with. He still got 2 playoff appearances in 4 seasons, but nothing more than that. Since he was fired in 2021, he had a stint as a Blazers assistant, and now he is on the Lakers bench like Nate McMillan. Brooks is someone who may not get another shot at a head coaching job, but certainly deserves it.

2. Mike Brown

Mike Brown is on this list because he was fired way earlier into this season, unlike Taylor Jenkins, Mike Budenholzer, and Michael Malone (those 3 coaches still deserve another shot, also). Mike Brown was fired in late December, and it was a mess. The Kings were in a slump, and they fired the guy who led them to the playoffs and won COTY just 2 seasons ago. It was a very odd situation overall. Mike Brown has won 2 COTY Awards and is 1 of 8 people to ever do so. He has coached a lot of playoff basketball, made the Finals when he was with a young LeBron in Cleveland, and is still only 55 years old. Mike Brown has a higher chance of getting another head coaching job over anyone on this list, probably. Mike Brown is an above-average NBA coach and would be an upgrade for many teams. As of now, it will be interesting to see where he ends up next.

1. Frank Vogel

Unlike every other coach on this list, Frank Vogel is a champion. Whether you think the NBA Bubble was an actual championship, it still is a title, something that so many coaches and players want, and the reason the games are played. Frank Vogel is someone who had great success with a young Paul George in Indiana and had a few great seasons with a lot of playoff wins. He then went to the Magic and couldn’t get it going after 2 seasons. The Lakers decided to give him a shot, and it resulted in a championship. Since letting go of Vogel, the Lakers have not been good other than one WCF run. He should never have gotten fired from Los Angeles, but a lot of coaches shouldn’t have gotten fired within the last 5 years. He then went to Phoenix for 1 season and it just didn’t go well. It would be cool to see Vogel within a couple of years, become the head coach of a younger team or a team that is still developing. His playoff and championship experience could lift a young team, like the way he did with the Indiana Pacers when he first got the job. Frank Vogel is only 51 years old, so I fully expect him to get another chance sometime soon as a head coach.

Wrap Up

There are a lot of NBA coaches who deserve another chance, and a lot of them won’t get it. The NBA is a competitive league, and that goes for coaching and coaching job security also. There won’t be too much coaching chaos this offseason, but look out for next year, the 2026 offseason, as a lot of coaches are on the hot seat going into next season.

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Eli Saari