Famous American Coaches

Phil Jackson is a former professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association and won the NBA championships in 1970 and 1973 when he was with New York Knicks. Later, he coached the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers and led them both to numerous championships and league titles and is considered one of the greatest basketball coaches ever.

Urban Meyer is an American football coach who is currently serving as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars which competes in the NFL. He has also coached college football teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, helping the team win its maiden Big Ten Conference title. He has also worked as an analyst for popular TV networks like Fox Sports.

Basketball player Jerry West, also known as Mr. Clutch, for his ability to snatch games in clutch situations, is known for his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He was part of the US squads that won an Olympic gold in 1960 and a Pan American Games gold in 1959.

Andy Reid is an American football coach who is currently serving as the head coach for the National Football League team the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid is credited with revitalizing the Chiefs which was a struggling team when he started coaching them in 2013. He helped the Kansas City Chiefs win a Super Bowl title, their first in 50 years.

Mike Krzyzewski is a men's basketball coach currently affiliated with Duke University. He played basketball in the United States Military Academy and served as an officer in the United States Army for a few years. He later joined the coaching staff at the Indiana Hoosiers. He has been with Duke University since 1980 and plans to retire soon. 

Patrick Ewing is a Jamaican-American former basketball player who played for popular NBA teams like New York Knicks and Seattle SuperSonics. He also won gold medals at the 1984 and 1992 Olympic Games as part of the US men's national basketball teams. In 2008, Patrick Ewing was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual career.

Retired basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a legendary NBA champion and its all-time leading scorer. Known for his trademark skyhook shot, he achieved remarkable feats during his career. Later, he pursued a successful writing and acting career and was even selected U.S. global cultural ambassador. The NBA star is also the proud recipient of the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Penny Hardaway is a college basketball coach who is currently serving as the head coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. A former player, Hardaway played for teams like Miami Heat and New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association where he was a two-time All-NBA First Team member and a four-time NBA All-Star. 

Pat Riley is a former coach and player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Currently, he is a professional basketball executive and has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995. He is considered one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time and is a recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Tyronn Lue is an American basketball coach currently serving as the head coach for the popular team Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. Previously, he coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, which won the 2016 NBA Finals under his guidance. During his playing career, Tyronn Lue helped the Los Angeles Lakers win two NBA championships.

Dabo Swinney is an American football coach. The highest-paid coach in college athletics history, Dabo Swinney helped the Clemson Tigers of the Clemson University win two national championships; he is the second-most successful head coach in Clemson history, only behind Frank Howard.

Muggsy Bogues is a former basketball player. Standing at 5 feet 3 inches tall, Bogues is the shortest player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). When his 14-season NBA career came to an end, Bogues served as the head coach for Charlotte Sting, which participated in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2007. 

Doc Rivers is a former American basketball player, who in his thirteen seasons played primarily for Atlanta Hawks and was known for his defence. After retirement, he picked up coaching responsibilities for Orlando Magic and in his first year was awarded NBA Coach of the Year. Later, he led Boston Celtics to NBA championship. He is currently the coach of Philadelphia 76ers.

Football coach, Vince Lombardi, is best known for being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. Beginning his career as a high school coach, he eventually started coaching  National Football League (NFL) teams. As a head coach in the NFL, he never had a losing season. He died of cancer in 1970.

Ed Orgeron is a former football player turned coach. He currently serves as the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU). He played college football at LSU and Northwestern State University. He began his coaching career in the 1980s and has coached the teams at the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern California (USC). 

Known as much for his basketball skills, as for his towering 6’10” height, Amar'e Stoudemire has played for major teams such as the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns. An Olympic bronze medal winner, he now coaches the NBA team Brooklyn Nets. He also founded the Each One, Teach One foundation.

Former American football player and coach, Tony Dungy, currently works as an advisor for the professional football team, The Houston Texans. An evangelical Christian, Dungy has been an integral part of several community service organizations over the years. Also a writer, Dungy claims that his memoir Quiet Strength has touched the lives of many.

Bear Bryant was an American football player who represented the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama. Bryant is remembered for his illustrious career as a coach. He served as the head coach of the Crimson Tide for 25 years, during which he helped his team win six national championships. He is regarded as the greatest college football coach ever.

Jerry Krause was a sports scout and executive. He served as the general manager of the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for several years, from 1985 to 2003. He won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice. He died in 2017 and was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later that year. 

Lou Holtz has been the head football coach of teams such as the New York Jets. He led Notre Dame to be the national champions. Holtz became the only coach to guide four programs to the final top 20. The College Football Hall of Famer later became an ESPN analyst.

Erik Spoelstra, who is of Filipino descent, created history when in 2008 he became the head basketball coach of Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association, making him the first Asian-American head coach of the four major North American sports leagues. When Miami Heat won in 2012, he became the first Asian-American head coach to win a NBA championship.

Tommy Lasorda was a popular baseball player who later also served as a manager of the MLB team LA Dodgers. His coaching career saw him win two World Series for the Dodgers. He also led the American baseball team to a gold medal win at the Sydney Games.

Former American football linebacker, coach, and sports analyst Bill Cowher served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He spent the majority of his coaching career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Under him, the Steelers won several championships including one Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.