Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder was voted the 2024 Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, the league announced on Monday.
Who Won The 2024 NBCA Coach of the Year?
@okcthunder Head Coach, Mark Daigneault has been named the 2024 recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award.
Official Release:https://t.co/cMOBgDEVof pic.twitter.com/aZu89YAche
— NBA Coaches Assoc. (@NBA_Coaches) April 15, 2024
“It is humbling to be chosen for this honor by my peers, for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration,” Daigneault said in a statement. “Our team’s success this season has been driven by a group of talented players, whose commitment and competitiveness has been uncommon. Coaching them is a privilege. I’m also grateful for our assistant coaches and support staff, whose invisible work glues our operation together. Representing the Thunder organization and Oklahoma City, alongside competent and high character coworkers brings me tremendous fulfillment. A special thank you to Clay Bennett and Sam Presti for the opportunity to live that out every day.”
Each NBA head coach votes for the NBCA Coach of the Year Award. The award is named after the late Michael Goldberg, the NBCA’s executive director for over 30 years.
Other coaches who received votes include Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla, and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley.
“Congratulations to Mark Daigneault on leading a young group of talented players to such a successful season,” Indiana Pacers Head Coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle said in a statement. “He led the youngest team in NBA history to clinch a top playoff seed and has established himself as one of the top coaches in the game.”
Mark Daigneault Named Michael H. Goldberg National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year
🔗 | https://t.co/f8NRHi9Nks pic.twitter.com/sttsmwEgJz
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 15, 2024
Mark Daigneault Led Oklahoma City Thunder To No. 1 Seed
The Thunder finishes as the top seed in the Western Conference. Game 1 will be Sunday, April 21 at @paycomcenter vs. the #8 Seed with time still TBD. The opponent will be determined on Friday, April 19 after the Play-in Tournament. pic.twitter.com/HJS8yfPH0S
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 14, 2024
Despite being the second-youngest team in the NBA (average age of 24), Daigneault led the Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 57-25. It marks the team’s 12th postseason appearance in the last 15 seasons and the first since the bubble in 2020.
The Thunder have increased their win total every season since Daigneault took over as head coach in 2020–2021. Daigneault’s record in four seasons with the Thunder:
Daigneault’s season-by-season records:
- 2020-2021: 22-50
- 2021-2022: 24-58
- 2022-2023: 40-42
- 2023-2024: 57-25
The Thunder are the youngest team to surpass 55-plus wins in the regular season.
Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder boast one of the league’s best offenses, ranking first in 3-point percentage (38.9), second in net rating (7.3), and third in field goal percentage (49.8).
The Thunder are awaiting the results of the Play-In Tournament to determine their playoff opponent. The Thunder will play one of our teams: New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, or Golden State Warriors.
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