OAKLAND, CA – The back-to-back NBA Champion Golden State Warriors have signed Head Coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
“We’re excited to have Steve under contract and poised to lead our team for the next several years,” said Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers. “Under his guidance, we’ve been fortunate enough to win three NBA titles in four years and his ability to thrive in all facets of his job is certainly a primary reason for our success. He’s a terrific coach, but more importantly an incredible human being.”
Under Kerr, the Warriors have won three NBA Championships in four seasons, joining Phil Jackson (1991, 1992, 1993) and John Kundla (1949, 1950, 1951) as the only head coaches in NBA history to win three titles in their first four seasons at the helm. Kerr owns a playoff mark of 63-20 (.759), the highest winning percentage in NBA history amongst head coaches who have coached a minimum of 25 playoff games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The franchise has recorded 58-or-more regular season wins in each of his four seasons, joining the Celtics (1961-62 – 1964-65 & 1983-84 – 1986-87), Bucks (1970-71 – 1973-74), 76ers (1979-80 – 1982-83) and Lakers (1984-85 – 1987-88) as the only teams to accomplish the feat. Kerr has an overall regular season record of 265-63 (.808), the best four-year run in NBA history. The Warriors have claimed the Pacific Division crown in four-consecutive seasons under Kerr, who along with Pat Riley is the only other coach in NBA history to win their division in each of the first four seasons as head coach.
Originally named to the position on May 19, 2014, Kerr is the 25th head coach in franchise history and the 20th since the team moved to the West Coast in 1962. He is the fourth Warriors coach to win an NBA title, joining Eddie Gottlieb (1947), George Senesky (1956) and Alvin Attles (1975). He is also just the third coach in franchise history to be named Coach of the Year (2015-16), joining Alex Hannum (1963-64) and Don Nelson (1991-92).
Kerr, who won five NBA championships during a 15-year playing career, owns eight championships overall as either a player or coach, becoming the first to win at least three NBA titles as a player and three as a head coach. The NBA’s all-time three-point percentage leader, having converted on 45.4 percent (726-of-1599) of his attempts from long range, Kerr amassed career averages of 6.0 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 910 regular-season games with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs (twice), and Portland Trail Blazers.
A native of Beirut, Lebanon, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Kerr played four seasons at the University of Arizona, helping lead the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance during his senior season in 1988. An All-Pac 10 guard in both 1986 and 1988, he remains the school’s career leader in three-point field goal percentage (57.3). Kerr was also a member of the USA Basketball team that captured the 1986 World Championship in Madrid, the last American Men’s Senior National Team composed strictly of amateur players to capture a gold medal.
