Closer look at new coaches for 2026-27 season

Jamahl Mosley is 1 of 6 new coaches in the NBA for the 2026-27 season.

Jamahl Mosley jumped across the gulf, from the Orlando Magic’s coaching job to

the New Orleans Pelicans’ job

. Sean Sweeney goes from an assistant coach who helped the San Antonio Spurs reach the NBA Finals in 2026 to the

new coach of the Magic

.

Dusty May left NCAA champion Michigan for the opportunity to

coach the Dallas Mavericks

and Cooper Flagg. Tiago Splitter takes over

the Chicago Bulls’

coaching position, and Micah Nori heads west, leaving an assistant coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the coaching job with

the Portland Trail Blazers

. Taylor Jenkins improved the Memphis Grizzlies, and after a season off, he’s

back as a coach

, this time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Coaches in their first season have had success recently – Mike Brown led the New York Knicks to a championship

in his first

season there. Steve Kerr did it with Golden State

in 2015

Tyronn Lue did it with the Cleveland Cavaliers

in 2016

, and Nick Nurse did it with the Toronto Raptors

in 2019

. Same for Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers

in 2020

. If you don’t count interim years, Joe Mazzulla coached the Boston Celtics to a title

in 2024

, and Mitch Johnson took San Antonio to the Finals last season.

Success doesn’t have to mean a run to the Finals. Maybe it’s progress in the win column or a playoff series victory.

Here is a look at the six teams with new head coaches entering the 2026-27 NBA season:

Tiago Splitter, Chicago Bulls

Tiago Splitter is tasked with getting the Bulls back on a winning track.

Age:

41

Coaching experience:

Brooklyn Nets assistant coach; Houston Rockets assistant coach; Paris Basketball coach; Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach; Trail Blazers interim coach

Last team coached:

Trail Blazers in 2025-26 (42-40 in the regular season,

lost 4-1 in first round

)

What to expect in first season with the Bulls:

Splitter was excellent under difficult circumstances in Portland last season. He’s ready for a job without the interim tag. The Bulls are young and appear headed in the right direction under

new general manager Bryson Graham

. The Bulls have Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis and drafted Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 in the first round of

the 2026 NBA Draft

. They acquired Nic Claxton in a trade and signed Norman Powell in free agency. The East is tough, and the Central Division is loaded with Detroit, Cleveland and Indiana. But the Bulls made moves that should expedite their progress.

Fun fact:

Splitter had a lengthy pro basketball career, including six-plus seasons in the NBA – five with the San Antonio Spurs where he won a title in 2014.

Notable quotable:

“We want to create a culture of high standards, great habits every day, get better, grow. It’s going to be a lot of work. It’s going to take some time. I know what it takes, and I know the responsibility that I have and the expectations that it comes with being the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. So I’m ready and I can’t wait to start and work and be more and more involved with this community.

“Bulls fans, you guys are awesome. I’m actually a Bulls fan myself growing up in Brazil. I watched many games late at night hidden from my parents at 1 a.m. watching MJ (Michael Jordan) games and rooting for the Bulls. So super excited to be here and help to lead the team with the front office and ownership. …

“The first thing you do is connect. I actually already started doing that. That’s the foundation of everything you do, especially at this level. If you don’t have that, it’s really hard to demand and make them respect you. But the foundation is connect with the players in different ways. Generations, they change and you’ve just got to adapt, but this is the first thing you’ve got to do. One of the pillars of the things you do in basketball is the togetherness. You’ve got to start there.”

Dusty May, Dallas Mavericks

New Mavericks head coach Dusty May speaks to the media during his introduction in Dallas.

49

Eastern Michigan assistant coach; Murray State assistant coach; UAB assistant coach; Louisiana Tech assistant coach; Florida assistant coach; Florida Atlantic coach; Michigan coach

Michigan in 2025-26 (37-3 in regular season, won NCAA championship)

What to expect in first season with the Mavericks:

The Mavs have a new front office with

president Masai Ujiri

and

general manager Mike Schmitz

shaping the roster led by reigning

Kia Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg

. Dallas drafted Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., who played for May at Michigan, with the No. 9 pick and got Sergio De Larrea with the 25th pick

in the first round

. This is the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise as it builds for the future. They also acquired 2024 No. 1 overall pick

Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta

in a three-team trade. Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Max Christie and P.J. Washington are on the roster, but don’t be surprised to see more personnel changes as 2026-27 progresses.

Like LA Clippers executive and former NBA coach Lawrence Frank, May was a student-manager for Bob Knight at Indiana.

“We have two goals. One, to be enjoyable to watch for our fans and everyone to be proud of how we play the game. And the other is to make sure that we’re equipped to win any type of game – a regular-season shootout, a knockdown slugfest or a playoff wrestling match, whatever the case. We need to be equipped to be able to win that type of game. And with that, you need lineup versatility, you need a deep roster, and you need guys that really care about playing off of each other and doing it that way. So yes, there will be times we use it bigger than most lineup.

“If you rewind back to our FAU days, we played with one of the smallest teams. We played four small guards with one center. So we’re going to really evaluate what our players do well and do mold everything around that.”

Taylor Jenkins, Milwaukee Bucks

New Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins takes over as the team begins life without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Austin Toros G League assistant coach; Auston Toros coach; Atlanta Hawks assistant coach; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach; Memphis Grizzlies coach

Grizzlies in 2024-25 season (44-29 record, fired nine games before 2025 playoffs began)

What to expect in first season with the Bucks:

The Bucks era

without Giannis Antetokounmpo

on the roster has begun, and instead of trying to add players around a proven star and win another championship, the Bucks will feature a young roster with a handful of veterans. The Bucks drafted two players in the first round (Brayden Burries at No. 10 and Nate Ament at No. 13), and in the Antetokounmpo trade with the Miami Heat, they acquired Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis and two first-round picks in 2031 and 2033. Also on the roster: Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

Jenkins’ grandmother knew former San Antonio Spurs governor Peter Holt and brokered an introduction which led Jenkins from Penn’s Wharton School to an internship with the Spurs.

“We’re all striving for consistency on a day-to-day basis. My three pillars are going to be pretty easy. I think these guys may have already heard it. I’m going to regurgitate. I already told them they’re going to probably roll their eyes at some point, but it’s compete together, get better. I don’t want to overcomplicate this.

“From day one, it’s how are we going to be the most competitive team in all areas of what we do, not just on the court, but also off the court? How together are we going to be on the court? That’s going to be our style – the unselfishness you guys are going to have to have offensively and defensively, but also what we’re going to do in our lives beyond basketball to develop that togetherness. In my time in Memphis, my mentality was always, we’re building something.

“We are trying to daily get better. And that’s me. If I’m going to lead the charge here with these guys up here, I got to look in the mirror first and figure out how I’m going to get better every single day because I want them to feel that from me. We can talk about partnership and relationships as much as we want, but it’s the day in and day out working and living together that I’m going to make top priority No. 1 and that’s what we’re doing right now. And it’s exciting.”

Jamahl Mosley, New Orleans Pelicans

Coach Jamahl Mosley heads to New Orleans after 5 seasons as Orlando’s coach.

47

Denver Nuggets player development coach; Nuggets assistant coach; Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach; Dallas Mavericks assistant coach; Orlando Magic coach

Magic in 2025-26 (45-37 in regular season,

lost 4-3 in first round

What to expect in first season with the Pelicans:

The Pelicans were 26-56 last season, and the West remains an ultra-competitive conference. But they have players to work with: Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Herbert Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Yves Messi and Derik Queen. With Orlando, Mosley went from 22 victories in his first season in 2021-22 to 47 victories two seasons later. That’s the improvement the Pelicans are looking for under his guidance.

Fun Fact:

In his junior season at Colorado, Mosley averaged 14 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 62.6% overall en route to All-Big 12 third-team honors.

“I’ve told the guys when we have the Zoom call individually. I said there’s four things that we’re standing on as non-negotiables. One, respect your teammates by being on time. You’re on time in this building, you’re on time on the court, you’re on time on passing, you’re on time on rotations. That’s part of being on time. Second piece, outwork. We’re not just coming to the gym to get shots up.

“We’re going to outwork every team that plays and that steps on this court. We’re not going to be outworked. Third thing, how you present yourself to your teammates every day is important – your body language and your attitude. We all have things going on off the court, but when we step on this floor, how we present and the energy that we bring to the table is important. And the fourth, to your point about accountability, it starts with communication.”

Sean Sweeney, Orlando Magic

Sean Sweeney will embark on his first season as an NBA coach in 2026-27 with Orlando.

42

New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets video coordinator; Nets assistant coach; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach; Detroit Pistons assistant coach; Dallas Mavericks assistant coach; San Antonio Spurs associate coach

Spurs in 2025-26 as associate coach, helping them reach the NBA Finals

What to expect in first season with the Magic:

Sweeney moves into a position with a playoff-ready roster — that doesn’t happen often for first-time coaches. The Magic feature All-Star Paolo Banchero as well as Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Jevon Carter and Jonathan Isaac (plus, Nikola Vučević

returned via free agency

). The East’s Southeast Division is competitive, especially with the Charlotte Hornets’ rise, Antetokounmpo going to Miami, the Atlanta Hawks making moves and the Washington Wizards ready to improve. Sweeney brings a stellar defensive mind to Orlando, but he has also been the offensive coordinator for Dallas teams that put up points with Luka Dončić. The last two teams where Sweeney was an assistant – Dallas and San Antonio – both reached the Finals during his time there.

Sweeney is huge fan of Notre Dame and has Irish football season tickets.

“For me, coaching is not a profession. It’s a vocation. And I’m going to work to my highest level to do the best job I can for this franchise and for the guys sitting here in front of us. It’s been 21 years of preparation, and it has brought me here and I’m ready for it and I’m excited to begin. A couple of things about our team.

“Our team is going to be built on our values. We’re going to value character. We’re going to value competition. We’re going to value connection, and we are going to value the game. I love the game. I’m a competitor. I want to do things with integrity, and I want to make sure that we are connected in how we play. That’s going to shape how we act every day. Our behaviors are going to be shaped upon our values. We’re going to be prepared. We’re going to be attentive and that’s going to be active attention.”

Micah Nori, Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers coach Micah Nori inherits a team that won 42 games and made the playoffs in 2025-26.

52

Toronto Raptors assistant coach; Sacramento Kings assistant coach; Denver Nuggets assistant coach; Detroit Pistons assistant coach; Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach

Timberwolves in 2025-26 as assistant coach

What to expect in first season with the Trail Blazers:

The Blazers were 42-40 and made the playoffs last season, and they return several players from that roster. Plus, they get Damian Lillard

back from an injury

, and they

acquired All-Star guard Ja Morant

in a trade with Memphis. They have a deep backcourt with Lillard, Morant, Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija was an All-Star in 2025-26, and the Blazers also bring back defensive-minded wing Toumani Camara as well as big men Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan. The West is once again deep, but Portland will be competitive and in the playoff conversation.

Nori played baseball at Indiana – as did his dad, Fred – and hit .305 with 20 home runs, including .365 and 12 homers in his final season. He was also an assistant baseball coach at Indiana. His son, Dante, was a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2024 MLB Draft.

“Not to be cliché-ish and those type of things about playing hard and playing smart, but there’s some things that we can clean up. We’re not going to lead the league in turnovers. We can clean those things up. We’re going to be very good at what we define as being important and what we pay attention to and the execution of those things and also at the end of the games.

“This team last year was 21-22 in two-possession games with five minutes to go. What I hope is – we can’t guarantee makes and misses and stops – but I tell you this, they’re going to have to make shots and we’re going to force them to make tough shots. We’re not going to hope they miss. I can promise you that, and we will get good looks. Our group is looking to put them in positions to be successful on a nightly basis. And that is how I believe that we can help.”

* * *

Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at

jzillgitt@nba.com

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