Los Angeles Lakers History of Coaches

The complete list of Lakers coaches from John Kundla to Phil Jackson. Yearly list and summary of coaches, including championships won

In 75 NBA seasons, the Lakers have had 28 coaches. Six of those coaches won NBA titles: Phil Jackson got 5 of his NBA record 11 while coaching the Lakers, John Kundla also got 5 championships, all in the Minneapolis Lakers era, Pat Riley got 4 while coaching most of the Showtime years, Bill Sharman had the best streak in NBA history with 33 consecutive wins in the same season he won his championship and Paul Westhead won 1 title with a rookie named Magic Johnson and a center known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Frank Vogel won the title in his first year coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Here you have the details of coaches in Lakers history, with year-by-year records for the regular season and playoffs and titles won. You can also review the Lakers summary of coaches.

History of Lakers Coaches: Coaching Periods and Details Year-by-Year:

Term
Coach Season Playoffs Championships
1948-49 to 1956-57 John Kundla 380-240 (.613) 54-28 NBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA Champions5 Titles
  Detail: 1948-49 44-16 (.733) 8-2 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1949-50 51-17 (.750) 10-2 NBA ChampionsWon NBA Finals
  1950-51 44-24 (.647) 3-4 Lost West Div Finals
  1951-52 40-26 (.606) 9-4 NBA Champions Won Finals
  1952-53 48-22 (.686) 9-3 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1953-54 46-26 (.639) 9-4 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1954-55 40-32 (.556) 3-4 Lost West Div Finals
  1955-56 33-39 (.458) 1-2 Lost West Div Semis
  1956-57 34-38 (.472) 2-3 Lost West Div Finals
1957-58 George Mikan 9-30 (.231) - 0 titles
  Detail: 1957-58 9-30 (.231) -  
  (Replaced after 39 games of 1957-58 Season)
1957-58 to 1958-59 John Kundla 43-62 (.410) 6-7 0 titles
  Detail: 1957-58 10-23 (.303) - DNQ
  (Coached the final 33 games of the 1957-58 Season)
  1958-59 33-39 (.458) 6-7 Lost NBA Finals
1959-60 John Castellani 11-25 (.306) - 0 titles
  Detail: 1959-60 11-25 (.306) - -
  (Replaced after 36 games of 1959-60 Season)
1959-60 Jim Pollard 14-25 (.359) 5-4 0 titles
  Detail: 1959-60 14-25 (.359) 5-4 Lost West Div Finals
  (Interim Head Coach for the final 39 games of 1959-60 Season)
1960-61 to 1966-67 Fred Schaus 315-245 (.563) 33-38 0 titles
  Detail: 1960-61 36-43 (.456) 6-6 Lost West Div Finals
  1961-62 54-26 (.675) 7-6 Lost NBA Finals
  1962-63 53-27 (.662) 6-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1963-64 42-38 (.525) 2-3 Lost West Div Semis
  1964-65 49-31 (.613) 5-6 Lost NBA Finals
  1965-66 45-35 (.562) 7-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1966-67 36-45 (.444) 0-3 Lost West Div Semis
1967-68 to 1968-69 Bill Van Breda Kolff 107-57 (.652) 21-12 0 titles
  Detail: 1967-68 52-30 (.634) 10-5 Lost NBA Finals
  1968-69 55-27 (.671) 11-7 Lost NBA Finals
Term Coach Season Playoffs Championships
1969-70 to 1970-71 Joe Mullaney 94-70 (.573) 16-14 0 titles
  Detail: 1969-70 46-36 (.561) 11-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1970-71 48-34 (.585) 5-7 Lost West Conf Finals
1971-72 to 1975-76 Bill Sharman 246-164 (.600) 22-15 NBA Champions1 Title
  Detail: 1971-72 69-13 (.841) 12-3 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1972-73 60-22 (.732) 9-8 Lost NBA Finals
  1973-74 47-35 (.573) 1-4 Lost West Conf Semis
  1974-75 30-52 (.366) - DNQ
  1975-76 40-42 (.488) - DNQ
1976-77 to 1978-79 Jerry West 145-101 (.589) 8-14 0 titles
  Detail: 1976-77 53-29 (.646) 4-7 Lost West Conf Finals
  1977-78 45-37 (.549) 1-2 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  1978-79 47-35 (.573) 3-5 Lost West Conf Semis
1979-80 Jack McKinney 9-4 (.692) - 0 titles
  Detail: 1979-80 9-4    
  (Replaced after 13 games in 1979-80 Season)
1979-80 to 1981-82 Paul Westhead 112-50 (.691) 13-6 NBA Champions1 Title
  Detail: 1979-80 51-18 (.739) 12-4 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  (Coached the final 69 games of the 1979-80 Season)
  1980-81 54-28 (.659) 1-2 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  1981-82 7-4 (.636) - -
  (Replaced after 11 games in 1981-82 Season)
1981-82 to 1989-90 Pat Riley 533-194 (.733) 102-49 NBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA Champions 4 Titles
  Detail: 1981-82 50-21 (.704) 12-2 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1982-83 58-24 (.707) 8-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1983-84 54-28 (.659) 14-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1984-85 62-20 (.756) 15-4 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1985-86 62-20 (.756) 8-6 Lost West Conf Finals
  1986-87 65-17 (.793) 15-3 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1987-88 62-20 (.756) 15-9 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  1988-89 57-25 (.695) 11-4 Lost NBA Finals
  1989-90 63-19 (.768) 4-5 Lost West Conf Semis
Term Coach Season Playoffs Championships
1990-91 to 1991-92 Mike Dunleavy 101- 63 (.616) 13-10 0 titles
  Detail: 1990-91 58-24 (.707) 12-7 Lost NBA Finals
  1991-92 43-39 (.524) 1-3 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
1992-93 to 1993-94 Randy Pfund 66-80 (.452) 2-3 0 titles
  Detail: 1992-93 39-43 (.476) 2-3 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  1993-94 27-37 (.421) -  
  (Replaced after 66 games in 1993-94 Season)
1993-94 Bill Bertka 1-1 (.500) - 0 titles
  Detail. 1993-94 1-1 (.500) - -
  (Interim Head Coach for 2 games in 1993-94 Season)
1993-94 Magic Johnson 5-11 (.313) - 0 titles
  Detail. 1993-94 5-11 (.313) - DNQ
  (Interim Head Coach for remaining 16 games in 1993-94 Season)
1994-95 to 1999 Del Harris 224-116 (.659) 17-19 0 titles
  Detail: 1994-95 48-34 (.585) 5-5 Lost West Conf Semis
  1995-96 53-29 (.646) 1-3 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  1996-97 56-26 (.683) 4-5 Lost West Conf Semis
  1997-98 61-21 (.744) 7-6 Lost West Conf Finals
  1999 6-6 (.500) -  
  (Fired after 12 games (6-6) of the strike-shortened 1999, 50-game season)
1999 Bill Bertka 1-0 (1.00) - 0 titles
  1999 1-0 (1.00) - -
  (Interim Head Coach for 1 game in 1999 season)
1999 Kurt Rambis 24-13 (.649) 3-5 0 titles
  1999 24-13 (.649) 3-5 Lost West Conf Semis
  (Interim Head Coach for final 37 games of strike-shortened, 1999, 50-game season)
1999-00 to 2003-04 Phil Jackson 287-123 (.700) 64-28 NBA ChampionsNBA ChampionsNBA Champions3 Titles
  Detail: 1999-00 67-15 (.817) 15-8 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  2000-01 56-26 (.683) 15-1 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  2001-02 58-24 (.707) 15-4 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  2002-03 50-32 (.610) 6-6 Lost West Conf Semis
  2003-04 56-26 (.683) 13-9 Lost NBA Finals
Term Coach Season Playoffs Championships
2004-05 Rudy Tomjanovich 24-19 (.558) - 0 titles
  Detail: 2004-05 24-19 (.558) - -
  (Left after 43 games because of health issues)
2004-05 Frank Hamblen 10-29 (.256) - 0 titles
  Detail: 2004-05 10-29 (.256) * - DNQ
  (Interim Head Coach for the final 39 games of the 2004-05) * His record doesn't include 2 wins he coached because Tomjanovich was still the official coach
2005-06 to 2010-11 Phil Jackson 323-169 (.657) 54-35 NBA ChampionsNBA Champions2 Titles
  Detail: 2005-06 45-37 (.549) 3-4 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  2006-07 42-40 (.512) 1-4 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  2007-08 57-25 (.695) 14-7 Lost NBA Finals
  2008-09 65-17 (.793) 16-7 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  2009-10 57-25 (.695) 16-7 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  2010-11 57-25 (.695) 4-6 Lost West Conf Semis
2011-12 to 2012-13 Mike Brown 42-29 (.592) 5-7 0 titles
  Detail: 2011-12 41-25 (.621) 5-7 Lost West Conf Semis
  Detail: 2012-13 1-4 (..200) - -
  (Fired after 5 games (1-4) )
2012-13

Bernie Bickerstaff

4-1 (.800) - 0 titles
  2012-13 4-1 (.800) - -
  (Interim Head Coach for 5 games in 2012-13 season)
2012-13 to 2013-14 Mike D'Antoni 67-87 (.435) - 0 titles
  Detail: 2012-13 40-32 (.556) 0-4 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  Detail: 2013-14 27-55 (.329) - DNQ
2014-15 to 2015-16 Byron Scott 30-126 (.232) - 0 titles
  Detail: 2014-15 21-61 (.256) - DNQ
  Detail: 2015-16 17-65 (.207) - DNQ
2016-17 to 2018-19 Luke Walton 98-148 (.398) - 0 titles
  Detail: 2016-17 26-56 (.317) - DNQ
  Detail: 2017-18 35-47 (.427) - DNQ
  Detail: 2018-19 37-45 (.732) - DNQ
2019-20 to 2021-22 Frank Vogel 127-98 (.564) 18-9 NBA Champions1 Title
  Detail: 2019-20 52-19 (.732) 16-5 NBA Champions Won NBA Finals
  Detail: 2020-21 42-30 (.583) 2-4 Lost West Conf 1st Rd
  Detail: 2021-22 33-49 (.402) - DNQ
2022-23 to present Darvin Ham 43-39 (.524) 8-8 0 titles
  Detail: 2022-23 43-39 (.524) 8-8 Lost West Conf Finals