• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Steve Kerr: ‘Billionaires’ to Blame for Run of NBA Coach Firings

The Warriors coach said the wealth of modern NBA owners has made it easier for them to move on from coaches.

Steve Kerr
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Steve Kerr has a theory as to why NBA coaches are getting fired despite their success. 

Before the Warriors’ 133–95 win against the Suns on Tuesday, Kerr was asked about the Nuggets shocking decision to fire head coach Michael Malone after 10 years and not renew general manager Calvin Booth’s contracts despite the team’s 2023 title. 

Malone—and Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins—were both among the longest-tenured coaches in the league before their firings, trailing only Kerr, Gregg Popovich, and Erik Spoelstra.

Earlier this season, the Kings fired Mike Brown just 31 games into the season after extending him on a three-year, $30 million contract in June 2024. 

Coaches are hired to inevitably be fired one day, but Kerr has a theory as to why the turnover has become this frequent. 

I think one thing that’s happened is most teams are now owned by billionaires, big corporations,” Kerr told reporters. “So, we’re all more expendable. There’s so much money in the business now. There’s pluses and minuses to that. We’re all making bigger salaries than we were five years ago, but we’re much more vulnerable because I think a lot of owners aren’t that concerned with firing a guy and paying him to go away. So, again, this is the business we chose. We all love it. But it’s not the most stable profession, that’s for sure.” 

Perhaps nobody embodies Kerr’s point more than former Pistons coach Monty Williams. When Detroit hired Williams in June 2023, it instantly reset the coaching market by giving him a record six-year, $78.5 million deal. Williams was a disaster in the Motor City, setting an NBA record with a 28-game losing streak and was fired a year into the season despite being owed $65 million

As Kerr said, salaries are growing, including his own. In February 2024, he signed a two-year, $35 million contract extension to make him the highest-paid coach in the NBA. 

The Nuggets are owned by the Kroenke family, which owns the Rams, Arsenal, and Avalanche among other teams; Stan Kroenke has a net worth of $18 billion. A real estate mogul, he married into the Walton family, which is one of the world’s richest. Grizzlies owner Robert Pera founded a tech communications company while Warriors owner Joe Lacob comes from private equity. Pera’s estimated worth is $10 billion while Lacob’s is $2.3 billion, according to Forbes. 

The Memphis and Denver firings weren’t identical, but there were parallels. Both coaches had frosty relationships with their front offices.

Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman fired Jenkins months after replacing multiple coaches on his staff while Booth and Malone feuded for years over roster construction. 

Kerr can’t relate to those issues, which is why he doesn’t have a timeline for when he’d want to stop coaching. 

“I love what I do,” Kerr said. “I’m in an amazing position with great support from my ownership, my management, and obviously have talented players. The idea of continuing on with this group is very appealing. I love it every single day. But who knows how long that lasts?” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

State of Connecticut Submits Bid for Minority Ownership of Sun 

The bid would value the Connecticut Sun above $250 million.

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.

Torre: Key Phrases Missing in Clippers’ Pushback on Kawhi Deal

The NBA said it’s investigating the report involving the Clippers.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dawn Staley

Dawn Staley Says She Would Have Left South Carolina for Knicks

Staley says she would have made the NBA leap “for women.”
Andy Reid
August 21, 2025

Andy Reid Office Shooting Went Unreported for a Year

Reid was inside at the time but wasn’t injured.
Inter Miami bench
August 21, 2025

Inter Miami Post-Red Card Phone Coaching May Have Been Legal

Javier Mascherano appeared to continue coaching through a call from the stands.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
August 1, 2025

Belichick Bump Creating Record UNC Ticket Prices

The cost of seeing the NFL legend’s college coaching debut is soaring.
July 28, 2025

Deion Sanders Had Bladder Removed Due to Cancer, Is Ready for Season

Sanders had his bladder removed in May.
July 28, 2025

Bulls Extend Billy Donovan After Rejecting Knicks Advances

The Bulls finished 39–43 for the second straight season.
Mike Brown
July 2, 2025

Knicks Land on Mike Brown After Monthlong Coach Search: Reports

New York still owes Tom Thibodeau $30 million.