10 NBA Coaches on the Hot Seat Likely to Be Fired

In professional sports, there is always pressure to win. And coaches who can’t lead their teams to victories won’t last long.

The game plans they put together, the prep they do, and how they prepare their players are key ingredients to a coach’s success or failure.

And though all 30 NBA teams come in ready for a strong season each year, half of them don’t even make it to the playoffs.

We’re going to look at the 10 NBA head coaches who are on the hot seat and look like they might be fired during the 2024-25 season:

10. Brian Keefe, Washington Wizards

GettyBrian Keefe.

The Wizards are not expected to make a lot of noise in 2024-25. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t pressure on them to not be the worst team in the league. High draft picks is what they will likely want, but they will still want to look competitive.

Washington made the switch from head coach Wes Unseld Jr. to Brian Keefe midway through last season, as the losses continued to pile up. Through games played on November 7, the team has gone just 10-35 since that move.

While they did extend Keefe in the offseason, it doesn’t mean he has job security at the moment. If they continue to lose at a high rate while not seeing significant growth from the young players, he may not make it through a full season.

9. Darko Rajaković

GettyDarko Rajaković.

When the Raptors made the choice to replace Nick Nurse with Darko Rajaković last year, they made the move with the big picture in mind. Toronto was going to start moving some assets, so they would likely not be a Top 8 team in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto went 25-57 in Rajaković’s first season. They put together one single three-game winning streak, which earned them a pizza party. He promised them at the start of the season that whenever they had a winning streak of three games, they’d do it. It happened once.

It is clear the team responds to him, but this is also a results-driven league. Significant injuries have hindered the roster in the early part of 2024-25, so pizza may have to wait. Once the team gets back to full strength, an assessment can be made to see if they’re showing growth.

Remember, this is the same organization that fired Dwane Casey after a second-round exit. He was 59-23 and Coach of the Year that very season.

8. Will Hardy

GettyWill Hardy.

Since starting the season 10-3 in 2022-23, the Will Hardy era in Utah has been marked by losing. With injuries and roster turnover, the team hasn’t been able to form any lineup cohesion just yet.

Their slow start to the season in 2024-25 has been similar, with injuries and new additions changing things once more. It is not Will Hardy’s job to make the team a winner every night. But he has to keep them competitive and looking like a team that won’t be a turnstile for opponents.

With Lauri Markkanen signing a long-term extension late into the offseason, he made a commitment to the Jazz. They will need to show they are on somewhat on the right track if Hardy wants to be the one to lead them into their next phase. One that could include potential No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.

7. Tyronn Lue

GettyTyronn Lue.

There are not many head coaches in the NBA with a reputation as strong as Tyronn Lue. The long-time coach of the Clippers won a title as the coach of the Cavs after taking over a 30-11 team that opted to fire David Blatt.

He has spent time with Team USA. He took LA to their first conference finals. But they have not advanced in the postseason in any of the last three seasons since. Injuries to stars have played a part, but it’s not a great look for a team that just moved into a new billion dollar arena.

The Clippers can finally be out of the Lakers‘ shadow with their own stadium. But, they will have to prove they can win. If Lue can’t get the group he has to look like a Top 6 team in the West, he may not be around for too much longer.

Clinging to the past is not something that will propel the team forward.

6. Taylor Jenkins

GettyTaylor Jenkins.

Though Memphis won only 27 games last year, Taylor Jenkins had taken these Grizzlies to 50+ wins in each of the previous two seasons. His track record as the coach has been a solid one.

The return of Ja Morant to the lineup provides the offense a boost. It gives them a star to play through. But with his return, the drafting of Zach Edey, and some other returning guys, there is pressure again.

Jenkins only has one playoff series win on his resumé. An underachieving year may well mean the end of his regime in Memphis. They have the talent. They have the depth.

Injuries can only be an excuse for so long. It’s time to see results in Grind City.

5. Rick Carlisle

GettyRick Carlisle.

Winning tends to cure any woes a team could have. With a trip to last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers showed that they are a team capable of taking others by storm.

When a team goes from 35-47 to 47-35 in just one year, it shows the progress as something easy to read. They added Pascal Siakam at the deadline to join Tyrese Haliburton as a running mate. They got a significant postseason from second-year guard Andrew Nembhard. Things clicked.

The only reason for a potential firing in his third season at the helm would be that Rick Carlisle fails to make much a discernible impact in Indy. They set the bar very high for themselves following the ECF trip. After winning a title in Dallas, Carlisle went the next 10 years without winning a single playoff series.

With two playoff series wins on his resumé in the past 12 seasons, he has to prove he can be a consistent winner here. The core is young so there is no rush, but the expectations have grown.

4. Quin Snyder

GettyQuin Snyder.

All of the winning that Quin Snyder did with the Jazz was great. He took them to a No. 1 overall season. A number of trips to the second-round. But the problem is, he has yet to do much with the Hawks to prove he can be there for the long-term.

Though they are probably not built to win a title right now, they need to stay competitive to appease star guard Trae Young. He has continued to show up when they have needed him, and they also drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the top pick in this past summer’s draft.

The talent they have isn’t going to wow many folks. But they should be able to finish at .500 at worst. In his couple of seasons here, Snyder has just two playoff wins to show. Outside of the team’s conference finals trip under Nate McMillan in 2020-21, they have not win any other playoff series in the past seven years.

The clock is ticking in the ATL.

3. Chauncey Billups

GettyChauncey Billups.

The roster that the Portland Trail Blazers have put together is very role-player heavy. They made offseason additions of Deni Avdija via trade and Donovan Clingan in the draft. But it still appears they have some holes.

Anfernee Simons has proven to be a top-tier scorer. They have some solid defensive wings like Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant. But none of these guys has consistently played like a star.

The team hasn’t improved much under Chauncey Billups. It’s his first head-coaching job. He has had chances to show what he can do. And nothing has worked.

If Portland doesn’t get on any winning streak during the first half of 2024-25, Billups will find himself working elsewhere.

2. Billy Donovan

GettyBilly Donovan.

Things are not all peachy with the Chicago Bulls, and they haven’t been for a long time. The franchise has not won a playoff series since the 2014-15 season. They only have two playoff appearances since then.

The direction is still a bit unclear as veterans seem to be playing more than the young guys. Zach LaVine is playing quality ball, but his name remains on the trading block. There is still no clear direction with the team right in the middle of things.

Billy Donovan has only had one campaign that resulted in a playoff berth in Chicago. While management hasn’t provided him with the type of talent they may need to win, he hasn’t been able to do much with what he’s had.

This may be Donovan’s last hoorah in Chicago, as the team is far from looking like the type who can make a playoff run. Good luck, Bulls.

1. Doc Rivers

GettyDoc Rivers.

Surprise, surprise! If you made it this far, it was only a matter of time until you saw this name. It’s been expected to be No. 1 since the list began. Doc Rivers has not been very good in Milwaukee, and it’s not exactly a secret. The Bucks don’t look good.

When you have a two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo on your team with another perennial star in Damian Lillard, winning is expected. The team lost in round one in 2023-24 and Rivers went 19-20 to finish last year after inheriting a 30-13 team.

Injuries play some part. But when superstars are on your team, winning is expected. He could not take the Sixers or Clippers past round two.

The Bucks’ first seven games in 2024-25 saw them go 1-6. It’s only a matter of time before ownership steps in.

Doc has not been without an NBA head coaching gig in any of the last 25 seasons, but that may change.

Stay tuned.

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