A view of the Oklahoma City Thunder logo during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Thunder at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Thunder 97-81.
Nov 25, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Oklahoma City Thunder logo during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Thunder at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Thunder 97-81. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
NBA

List of Every Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Throughout NBA History

The Seattle SuperSonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. Here's a list of every Thunder coach throughout NBA history.

The Oklahoma City Thunder originated as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1967 and adopted their current name after relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. While the SuperSonics hired 15 different coaches in 40 years, only four have taken charge of the Thunder.

The SuperSonics and the Thunder had only one common head coach. Here’s the list of every Thunder head coach throughout NBA history.

SuperSonics’ Domination in Early Years

  • Al Bianchi (1967–1969): Bianchi was the SuperSonics’ first-ever coach. Although he achieved a 53-111 record, his contributions were crucial to the franchise’s success in later years.
  • Lenny Wilkens (1969–1972, 1977–1985): Wilkens led the team twice, first from 1969 to 1972 as a player-coach and later from 1977 to 1985 as a professional coach. He secured a 478–402 record across both stints. A Hall of Fame coach, he reached the 1978 NBA Finals and won it all in 1979 — still the franchise’s lone NBA title.
  • Tom Nissalke (1972–1973): Nissalke led the SuperSonics to a 13–32 record in his reign.
  • Bucky Buckwalter (1973): Buckwalter served as an interim coach, posting a 13-24 record.

  • Bill Russell (1973–1977): The iconic Celtic took over as coach and GM and registered a 162–166 record in his tenure. The SuperSonics made two playoff appearances during his tenure.
  • Bob Hopkins ( 1977): Hopkins was the SuperSonics’ head coach for only 22 games. He won five and lost 17.
  • Bernie Bickerstaff (1985–1990): Bickerstaff went 202–208 in five seasons and led the Sonics to the Western Conference Finals in 1987. He maintained a 12-15 record in the playoffs.
  • K.C. Jones (1990-1992): Jones coached the SuperSonics for two seasons and managed a 59-59 record. The franchise made one postseason appearance under him and parted ways before he could finish his second season.
  • Bob Kloppenburg (1992): Kloppenburg’s stint with the SuperSonics was very short. He was on the sidelines for four games, winning two and losing two.

SuperSonics’ Domination in the NBA

  • George Karl (1992–1998): Karl spearheaded Seattle’s most dominant regular-season era, posting a 384–150 record. He led the Sonics to the 1996 NBA Finals and three seasons with 60+ wins. The franchise made it to the postseason every year during his tenure.
  • Paul Westphal (1998–2000): Westphal struggled with injuries and roster turnover, going 76–71 but missing the playoffs both years.
  • Nate McMillan (2000–2005): A player-turned-coach, McMillan boasted a 212-183 record in his career. He led the Sonics to two postseason appearances during his tenure.
  • Bob Weiss (2005-2006): Weiss took the Sonics HC job for 30 games, managing a 13-17 record.
  • Bob Hill (2006-2007): Hill achieved a 53-81 record during his time with the SuperSonics.

Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City Thunder

  • P. J. Carlesimo (2007-2008): Carlesimo joined as the SuperSonics’ coach and secured a 20-62 record with the franchise. He remained the coach after the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and things only got worse, with a 1-12 record as the Thunder’s head coach.
  • Scott Brooks (2008–2015): Promoted after Carlesimo’s firing, Brooks turned a 3–29 team into a title contender. He posted a 338–207 record and led the Thunder to five straight playoff berths, including a trip to the 2012 NBA Finals.
  • Billy Donovan (2015–2020): Donovan coached the Thunder through both championship hopes and roster turnover, going 243–157. He made the playoffs every year as the Thunder’s head coach.

The Mark Daigneault Era

  • Mark Daigneault (2020–present): Hired during a full-scale rebuild, Daigneault has turned the Thunder into serious title contenders after two poor seasons. He has a 211–189 regular season record and led the Thunder to back-to-back playoff appearances. He was the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year.

The Thunder have seen multiple coach changes before and after relocating to Oklahoma. They had their fair share of success in the past. The team looks even hungrier with Daigneault. It won’t be a surprise if they win one or more championships in the next few seasons.

Nishant
Written by Nishant

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