Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has committed to a two-year extension with the franchise after spending over a decade at the helm, multiple media outlets including ESPN and The Athletic have confirmed.
The 60-year-old coach will continue to hold the distinction of being the NBA’s top-earning coach annually, building on his previous $17.5 million salary from this past season. Kerr’s previous contract had reached its conclusion during the recent offseason.
Over the past two weeks, Kerr engaged in extensive discussions with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to hash out the terms of his new deal. According to ESPN’s reporting, financial considerations took a backseat to making the optimal basketball decision during these negotiations.
Throughout his tenure that began in the 2014-15 campaign, Kerr has led Golden State to four championship victories in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. His coaching record includes 604 wins against 353 losses during regular season play (.631 winning percentage) and a 104-48 mark in postseason competition (.684 winning percentage).
Despite this success, the Warriors failed to secure a playoff berth this year after falling to the Phoenix Suns in a play-in tournament matchup. This marks the second time in three years that the franchise has been excluded from the playoff picture.
The team also concluded the season with a 37-45 record, representing just the second time under Kerr’s leadership that Golden State finished with a losing record.
Following the team’s 111-96 defeat to Phoenix on April 17, Kerr acknowledged the possibility that it could have been his final game as the Warriors’ coach.
“I still love coaching, but I get it,” Kerr told reporters. “These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.”
Kerr had previously indicated that if he continued coaching for another season, it would exclusively be alongside superstar point guard Stephen Curry and the Warriors organization.
“That’s part of the equation,” he said. “I don’t want to walk away from Steph. I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph. But all this stuff has to be aligned and right. Those are all discussions that will be had.”
Prior to leading the Warriors to their first championship in four decades during 2015, Kerr captured five NBA titles as a player with the Chicago Bulls from 1996-98 and the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003.
