NBA head coaches have seen their salaries skyrocket over the last couple of years.

The Detroit Pistons’ ill-fated decision to make Monty Williams the highest-paid coach in NBA history gave leverage to several of the league’s big-name coaches when it came to contract negotiations.

Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich – two of the greatest head coaches in NBA history - penned extensions soon after Williams signed his pact with the Pistons.

After an abysmal first season in the Motor City, Williams was replaced by J.B. Bickerstaff on a much cheaper deal.

Five coaches are reportedly on $8 million per year – Tom Thibodeau, JJ Redick, Jason Kidd, Quin Snyder, Michael Malone – while former champion Rick Carlisle is on $7.25 million.

Defending champion Joe Mazzulla is one of the lower-paid coaches at $4.7 million.

Here are the highest-paid NBA head coaches in 2024-25, courtesy of Front Office Sports…

Nick Nurse - $9 million

The pressure is on Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

Their basketball betting odds to win the title came tumbling when they landed Paul George in the summer, forming arguably the league’s most formidable big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Nurse took an unconventional route to the NBA, coaching all over the world before winning the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors. 

It’s set to be a difficult regular season for Nurse as the Sixers aim to keep their stars healthy. Nurse and the Sixers will be defined by the playoffs, where the former Raptors head coach is highly regarded for his in-game adjustments. 

Doc Rivers – $10 million

On the topic of in-game adjustments, Doc Rivers is the head coach of another supposedly contending team despite his sustained record of playoff disappointments since winning the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics.

Rivers’ coaching – and lack of adjustments – has often been a point of discussion.

The Milwaukee Bucks hired Rivers after unrest during Adrian Griffin’s brief time in charge at the start of 2023-24. Rivers has rejected suggestions he was an informal consultant for Griffin during his time as head coach. 

Mike Budenholzer - $10 million

Like the Sixers, the Phoenix Suns constructed a big-name trio in the hopes of finally getting their hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The first season was a disappointment under Frank Vogel, so the franchise turned to Mike Budenholzer. 

The Suns might not have any players among the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year favourites in NBA odds, but there’s more than enough talent on this team to be competitive deep into spring. 

Tyronn Lue - $14 million

Tyronn Lue signed a new five-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in May 2024.

The agreement saw him jump from 10th to fourth in the NBA head coach salary rankings. 

The Clips have secured one of the NBA’s better coaches long-term as they head into their state-of-the-art new arena.

With Kawhi Leonard ruled out indefinitely to start the season and Paul George in Philadelphia, finishing in the top 10 in a stacked Western Conference is a big ask for Lue. 

Erik Spoelstra - $15 million

Already in the top 20 in regular season wins, Erik Spoelstra is destined to reach the top 10 at the very least. Spoelstra is only 54 years old at the time of writing and has a job for life with the Miami Heat. 

After navigating the early choppy waters of The Heatles, and winning two titles, the former video coordinator has kept the Heat competitive when other franchises would have been forced to rebuild. 

Spoelstra has masterminded a pair of Finals trips around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while consistently transforming overlooked players into functional rotation pieces. 

Gregg Popovich - $16 million

A five-time champion and the winner of the most games in NBA history, we will never see another career like Gregg Popovich’s.

Murmurings of retirement have been frequent since the end of the Tim Duncan era, but Popovich kept grinding through some rebuilding years and was rewarded with Victor Wembanyama. 

The 75-year-old suffered a mild stroke in November 2024, and there is no timeline for his return at the time of writing. San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright said Popovich is ‘doing well’.

Steve Kerr - $17.5 million

Steve Kerr penned a two-year contract extension worth $35 million in February 2024. Kerr’s deal made him comfortably the highest-paid head coach in the league. 

The former sharpshooting guard is one of six coaches in league history to win four or more titles.

Kerr boasts the best postseason winning percentage ever and ranks fifth in regular season winning percentage among coaches to have overseen 400 or more games. 

The talent at Kerr’s disposal is sometimes used to detract from his coaching abilities.

Defeating the Boston Celtics in 2022 was further proof – if anyone needed it – that Kerr is a brilliant coach, and he pressed all the right buttons for the US to win gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. 

The Golden State Warriors have started the 2024-25 season on a tear despite losing Klay Thompson in free agency. Have Kerr, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green got another run in them? 

---

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

The Coral Gold Cup  is a Grade Three handicap chase run over a distance of three miles and two furlongs at Newbury Races on the last weekend of November.

Affectionately still referred to by many as the Hennessy Gold Cup, the Coral Gold Cup  is one of the most important staying chases in the sport, just behind the Grand National which is at the pinnacle.

Twenty-one fences are jumped in all and with the ground often coming up as soft. A horses stamina and jumping is well and truly tested in this prestigious race.

Let’s take a look through some of the contenders in the 2024 renewal:

Last year’s local winning trainer, Jamie Snowden, has just the one entered this year with Grade 2 winner Colonel Harry leading our horse racing betting odds at 7/1.

The seven-year-old was last seen running second in the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle and he certainly will have blown off a few cobwebs.

Ground conditions will dictate the next plan of attack for Chianti Classico (10/1) following his impressive return to action at Ascot recently.

Winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Kim Bailey’s charge looks like he will be having a possible tilt at Grade One glory in the Betfair Chase rather than heading to Newbury. Antepost punters are advised to keep an eye on the weather with him.

Willy Twiston-Davies has confirmed that Broadway Boy (10/1) will head to Newbury after a pleasing return to action at Cheltenham (find our Cheltenham odds here). 

Assistant trainer to his father Nigel, Willy is hopeful that the benefit of a recent run will give him an excellent chance to progress even further this season.

A 10/1 chance in last year’s renewal, Midnight River (12/1) was prominent when falling at the 14th fence.

He had a very pleasing return to action at Wetherby after almost a year off and the Skelton team like the Frank McAleavy-owned gelding a lot.

The nine-year-old showed us exactly what he is capable of in 2023 when he landed the Freebooter Handicap Chase at Aintree on Grand National day.

Of the Irish raiders, Senior Chief (12/1) looks rather interesting. The gelding led home a one-two for Henry de Bromhead at Cheltenham’s Showcase Meeting and is expected to go well in Newbury’s showpiece.

With the Aintree Grand National being the long-term target for Senior Chief, the “Hennessy” could well turn out to be the perfect stepping stone for him.

Those searching for a runner at a price may want to give the once over to a horse that may be coming over from France.

The sole potential French raider comes from the yard of Noel George & Amanada Zetterholm with the recent Grade 3 Prix de la Gascogne winner, General En Chef (20/1) who could have his first start on British soil.

The eight-year-old will be thrown in at the deep end for sure but he has a decent staying pedigree and has coped with heaving conditions at Auteuil on many an occasion.

Coral Gold Cup antepost tip: Midnight River (E/W)

---

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*

BY far the worst football match I have ever seen live was Standard Liège 0 KV Mechelen 0 in the Belgian League on Tuesday 30th August 1983 at the Stade de Sclessin.

I won’t ever forget the bizarre spectacle I witnessed that night. In fact, I’ve never come across anything like it throughout my life as a football fan!

Standard Liège played a high defensive line just inside their own half. Nothing unusual there. But in response, Mechelen decided to have their forwards deliberately running fully 40 yards offside with long clearances repeatedly punted towards them. 

Once the offside flag was raised, those advanced Mechelen players would pick the ball up and walk very slowly back holding it tightly until they reached the free-kick position. This happened over and over again wasting a good 30 seconds each time.

Home fans were irate yet there wasn’t much the referee could do because Mechelen weren’t actually breaking any rules. Yes, some stoppage time was added on but nowhere near enough. The delays must have amounted to at least half an hour!

Anyway I decided to ask my social media followers for their own recollections of poorest games attended. And I received some wonderful replies concerning fixtures which would have attracted interesting football betting odds in the betting stakes…

---

Dave Jones @disco_kkcc

Wrexham 0-1 Chesterfield in 2002. They sprung our offside trap once, which was enough for Glynn Hurst to score the only goal. Awful game, comfortably the worst I’ve seen at the Racecourse.

Stephen Copping @coppinocops

A non-league game. Caught a dreadful flu and sat in a poor stand. Can’t remember the teams. Awful. I was commentating.

Andrew Protheroe @AndrewProt1968

2004 Macclesfield 2 Swansea 1. Tuesday night freezing no cover in away end. Not many Swans fans. Stood on yellow margins and a steward moved me despite no one being there.

Shaun Scott @ShaunAleScott12

Opening day of the 1988/89 season at Goodison. Newcastle had spent the money from the Gascoigne sale on Beasant and Thorn from Wimbledon. They were 1-0 down within 60 seconds. 4-0 by full-time. Cottee hat-trick. Relegation followed after a truly awful season.

chris crane @chris3oct

Carlisle v QPR FA Cup 1986. Postponed three times, it eventually took place on a Monday night. Arrived at 6.15 pm to be told there was a pitch inspection - it went ahead but QPR lost 1-0. Had to sit in station until 12.30am for a train back to London which got in at 7am and had to go straight to work!

Chris Sanderson @NE63exile

26/10/02: Dumbarton 0 Stenhousemuir 0. Had to file 200 words for the Daily Record and literally nothing happened. One of the hardest football reports I ever had to write.

The Artist Currently Known as Swindle @SwindlehurstJ

Last season, Cambridge United away at Peterborough, 5-0 loss, earliest I’ve chosen to leave a game.

Peter Thornton @insidewrite1957

Southampton v Oldham 2010 on a Tuesday evening. Down from Manchester for a meeting in Eastleigh with two other lads and the Oldham supporting boss of an events company I worked for. Only at 5pm with no way back to Manchester that didn’t cost £££s did he announce we’re going to the game. Don’t think either team had a shot 0-0.

Paul Hutton @trafficpaul

1999 Oxford United 0 Watford 0. Was reporting for Sky. Tommy Smith had a one-on-one he put wide in the first minute. Decent opportunity. From memory that was the last chance I wrote down for the entire game.

GoatyGavster @GoatyGavster

West Ham 0-0 Derby. Took my two cousins from Exeter who hadn’t been to a game in ages…the first match at Upton Park for the younger one. Awful game that was like both teams had agreed a draw before kick-off.

M @mikejt67

Boxing Day 1990. Luton 0 Sheffield Utd 1. Luton looked as if they’d just come straight out of the Toby Carvery. I could’ve been at home on the sofa with the Quality Street and ‘Mutiny On The Buses’ on TV.

David Michael Raby @davidraby123

Anything under Roy Hodgson but Liverpool 0 Wolves 1 December 2010 stands out as particularly awful.

Tom @tomliwh_08

December 2022 Lincoln away with Wycombe - we thought it would get postponed but it never did. Got there three hours early, sat in the freezing cold all game for a 0-0 draw.

OUT_OF_TOUCH_OUT_OF_TIME @djpickup1980

Sheffield Wednesday v Scunthorpe, FA Cup replay 2003. Ended 0-0 and Scunny won on penalties. Awful match in an awful season for Wednesday.

MaidstoneFan1976 @westhamfan76

Grays Athletic 0-0 York City just before Christmas on a very cold day in 2006. No shots, no excitement, no passion from either team. Most of us wished we had gone Xmas shopping!

Matt Hughes @Hughsey1976

Strasbourg 3 Liverpool 0……16 hours on a cramped coach.

---

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*