Mike Brown (basketball, born 1970) facts for kids
Brown coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008
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| New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 5, 1970 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school | Würzburg American (Würzburg, Germany) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1992 / Undrafted |
| Coaching career | 1997–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1997–1999 | Washington Wizards (assistant) |
| 2000–2003 | San Antonio Spurs (assistant) |
| 2003–2005 | Indiana Pacers (assistant) |
| 2005–2010 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2011–2012 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2013–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2016–2022 | Golden State Warriors (associate HC) |
| 2022–2024 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2025–present | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As head coach:
As assistant coach:
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Michael Burton Brown (born March 5, 1970) is an American basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Before joining the Knicks, Brown was the head coach for the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. From 2020 to 2022, he coached the Nigerian national team at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Brown started coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005. He led them to the 2007 NBA Finals, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2009, he was named NBA Coach of the Year after the Cavaliers won a team-record 66 games. He also led the Cavaliers to 61 wins in 2010.
After leaving the Cavaliers, Brown coached the Los Angeles Lakers and then returned to the Cavaliers for a short time. In 2016, he became an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors, he helped win NBA championships in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
In 2022, Brown became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He led the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 years, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history. For this amazing effort, he won the NBA Coach of the Year award again in 2023. He was the first coach ever to win this award by a unanimous vote. In 2025, he became the head coach of the New York Knicks.
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Early Life and Basketball Journey
Mike Brown was born on March 5, 1970, in Columbus, Ohio. His father was in the US Air Force, so Mike moved a lot as a child. He lived in the United States, Japan, and Germany.
He graduated from Würzburg American High School in Germany in 1988. There, he was a great player in both basketball and football. After high school, he played basketball at Mesa Community College for two years. Then, he went to the University of San Diego, where he played college basketball for two seasons. He earned a degree in business in 1992.
Coaching Career Highlights
Mike Brown has had a long and successful career as a basketball coach. He has worked with many different teams in the NBA.
Starting Out: Assistant Coach Roles
Brown began his coaching career as an assistant. These roles helped him learn from experienced coaches and prepare for leading his own teams.
Washington Wizards (1997–1999)
In 1997, Brown started as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. He worked under coach Bernie Bickerstaff for two seasons.
San Antonio Spurs (2000–2003)
In 2000, Brown joined the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach. He worked with famous coach Gregg Popovich. During his time there, the Spurs won an NBA championship in 2003.
Indiana Pacers (2003–2005)
Brown became the associate head coach for the Indiana Pacers in 2003. He helped the Pacers reach the playoffs two times. In 2004, they made it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Leading the Team: Head Coach Positions
After gaining experience as an assistant, Mike Brown took on the challenge of being a head coach.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2005–2010)
In June 2005, Brown became the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was his first time leading an NBA team. When he arrived, the Cavaliers had not been to the playoffs in a while.
Under Brown, the Cavaliers improved a lot. They won 50 games in his first season and made the playoffs. In 2007, he led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in their history. However, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
In 2009, Brown was named the NBA Coach of the Year. He led the Cavaliers to a fantastic 66 wins, which was the best record in the league that season. The team also won 61 games in the 2009–10 season. Even with these great records, the Cavaliers lost in the playoffs in both 2009 and 2010. Brown was fired in May 2010.
Los Angeles Lakers (2011–2012)
In May 2011, Brown became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2011–12 season was shorter because of a player lockout. The Lakers made it to the second round of the playoffs that year.
Before the next season, the Lakers added star players Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. This made them a very strong team on paper. However, the team struggled at the start of the 2012–13 season. Brown was fired after only five games.
Second Time with Cleveland Cavaliers (2013–2014)
In April 2013, the Cavaliers hired Mike Brown again. The team had a tough season with many injuries and disagreements among players. For the first time as a head coach, his team had a losing record. He was fired by the Cavaliers for a second time in May 2014.
Golden State Warriors (2016–2022)
In July 2016, Brown joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach. He often stepped in as acting head coach when head coach Steve Kerr was unable to coach due to back pain.
Brown led the Warriors to a perfect 12–0 record in the 2016–17 NBA playoffs while Kerr was out. The Warriors went on to win the championship that year. They also won championships in 2018 and 2022. Brown earned four NBA championships as an assistant coach, with three of them coming with the Warriors.
Sacramento Kings (2022–2024)
In May 2022, Mike Brown became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. In his first season, he led the Kings to a 48–34 record. This was a huge achievement because it was the Kings' first playoff appearance since 2006. This ended the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
For his great work, Brown won the NBA Coach of the Year award for the 2022–23 season. He received every single vote, making him the first coach ever to win the award unanimously. The Kings started the 2024–25 season with a 13–18 record, and Brown was fired in December 2024.
New York Knicks (2025–present)
In July 2025, the New York Knicks hired Mike Brown as their new head coach.
Coaching the National Team
On February 5, 2020, Mike Brown was also named the head coach of Nigeria's men's national basketball team. He coached the team at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Head Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 2005–06 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2nd in Central | 13 | 7 | 6 | .538 | Lost in conference semifinals |
| Cleveland | 2006–07 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2nd in Central | 20 | 12 | 8 | .600 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| Cleveland | 2007–08 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 2nd in Central | 13 | 7 | 6 | .538 | Lost in conference semifinals |
| Cleveland | 2008–09 | 82 | 66 | 16 | .805 | 1st in Central | 14 | 10 | 4 | .714 | Lost in conference finals |
| Cleveland | 2009–10 | 82 | 61 | 21 | .744 | 1st in Central | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost in conference semifinals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2011–12 | 66 | 41 | 25 | .621 | 1st in Pacific | 12 | 5 | 7 | .417 | Lost in conference semifinals |
| L.A. Lakers | 2012–13 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cleveland | 2013–14 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 3rd in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento | 2022–23 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1st in Pacific | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in first round |
| Sacramento | 2023–24 | 82 | 46 | 36 | .561 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Sacramento | 2024–25 | 31 | 13 | 18 | .419 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 758 | 454 | 304 | .599 | 90 | 50 | 40 | .556 |
Family Life
Mike Brown's brother, Anthony Brown, played football in the NFL.
See also
In Spanish: Mike Brown (entrenador) para niños
