Taking a look at the five youngest head coaches in the NBA heading into the 2024-25 season.
As the NBA begins to transition in terms of new faces of the league, with the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant inching toward the end of their careers, we're also seeing an injection of young head-coaching talent. Great veteran coaches like Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle, and Doc Rivers are still very much around, but there are some young head coaches on the rise who appear to be the future of the league.
Preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season, it's only natural to look at the top of each team and get a greater understanding of the leading voices. Of these new leading voices, there are a handful that are quite young - still in their 30s. Let's take a look at the five youngest head coaches in the league heading into the new season.
The NBA's youngest head coaches
5. Taylor Jenkins, Memphis Grizzlies - 39 years old
4. Charles Lee, Charlotte Hornets - 39 years old
3. Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder - 39 years old
2. Will Hardy, Utah Jazz - 36 years old
1. Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics - 36 years old
There was a time when Taylor Jenkins was the youngest head coach in the league but with five seasons under his belt, he checks in at No. 5 on this list. Still a relatively young coach at 39 years old, Jenkins is the longest-tenured coach on this list. He may be facing the biggest test of his career yet this season; bringing the Memphis Grizzlies back to prominence after a year to forget.
Charles Lee, who was hired this past season by the Charlotte Hornets, is entering his first season as a head coach at the age of 39. It'll be interesting to see how Lee handles the new spotlight this year. Mark Daigneault, who won the 2024 NBA's Coach of the Year award, at 39 years old will be entering his fifth season at the helm for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Will Hardy, 36, is preparing for his third season with the Utah Jazz. Thrust into a difficult spot with the rebuilding Jazz, he's still setting the foundation for the future of the franchise. At the top of this list is Joe Mazzulla, who is fresh off winning his first NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics. At just 36 years old, Mazzulla appears to have a very bright future ahead of him.
And if his first two seasons as a head coach are any indication, Mazzulla will have the chance to go down as one of the best coaches in NBA history.