Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr has established a new NBA record for most victories by a first-year head coach in league history, notching his 63rd win of the season with tonight’s 123-110 victory over the Mavericks in Dallas. The previous record for wins by a first-year NBA head coach was 62, a mark shared by Paul Westphal (Phoenix, 1992-93) and Tom Thibodeau (Chicago, 2010-11). Kerr’s winning percentage (.829) also ranks as the highest among head coaches in their first full season at the helm, topping Red Auerbach’s debut season with the Washington Capitols (.817) in 1946-47. With tonight’s win, which improved Golden State’s record to 63-13, the Warriors will have home court advantage throughout the 2015 NBA Playoffs.
Kerr, who was hired as the 25th head coach in Warriors franchise history on May 19, 2014, has led the Warriors to franchise records of 63 wins and 28 road wins, guiding the team to its first Pacific Division championship since 1975-76. He was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in both January and March, becoming the first coach in Warriors history to earn the monthly honor twice in a single season. Golden State, which set a new franchise record with a 16-game win streak from Nov. 13-Dec. 14, has won its last 12 games, posting multiple double-digit win streaks in the same season for the first time in franchise history.
With 63 wins, the Warriors have seen a 12-game improvement over last season’s 51 victories, which is tied for the second-largest win total increase of any 50-win team in NBA history. Golden State leads the league in points per game (109.9), assists (27.4), field goal percentage (.477), three-point percentage (.397) and point differential (+10.7).