# List of foreign NBA coaches

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), foreign coaches—also known as international coaches—are those who were born outside the United States.
This list includes all international coaches who have been assistant and/or head coach in the NBA and also includes all coaches who were born in the United States but have represented other countries in international basketball competition.
In 2000, Igor Kokoškov from Serbia became the first non-American to hold a full-time assistant coach position in the NBA. In 2004, he became the first non-American assistant coach to win an NBA championship, and the first to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff. In 2018, he became the first fully European head coach in the NBA.

## List

Note: These lists are correct through the start of the 2023–24 season.
| Yrs | Number of seasons coached in the NBA | Number of seasons coached in the NBA | Number of seasons coached in the NBA | Number of seasons coached in the NBA | Number of seasons coached in the NBA | Number of seasons coached in the NBA |
| * | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA | Denotes head or assistant coach who is still active in the NBA |

### List of head coaches

| Nationality | Birthplace | Head coach | Career | Yrs | Notes |
| Canada | South Africa | Steve Nash | 2020–2022 | 3 | — |
| Canada | — | Jay Triano | 2008–2011; 2017–2018 | 4 | — |
| Israel | United States | David Blatt | 2014–2016 | 2 | Born in the United States to Jewish parents, has dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship. |
| Italy | United States | Mike D'Antoni | 1998–1999; 2003–2014; 2016–2020 | 16 | Born in the United States to Italian parents, has dual U.S. and Italian citizenship. |
| Nigeria | United States | Ime Udoka* | 2021–2022; 2023–present | 3 | Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship. Suspended for the 2022–23 season. |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Igor Kokoškov | 2018–2019 | 1 | Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010. |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Darko Rajaković* | 2023–present | 2 | — |
| Spain | — | Jordi Fernández* | 2024–present | 1 | — |
| United States | Lebanon | Steve Kerr* | 2014–present | 9 | Born in Lebanon to Malcolm H. Kerr, a Lebanese-born American citizen. |
| United States | Russian Empire (now Ukraine) | Eddie Gottlieb | 1946–1955 | 9 | Born in the Russian Empire, moved to the United States as a child, became a naturalized U.S. citizen. |
| United States | West Germany | Kiki VanDeWeghe | 2009–2010 | 1 | Born in West Germany to a Canadian father and an American mother. Holds both American and Canadian passports. |

### List of assistant coaches

| Nationality | Birthplace | Assistant coach | Career | Yrs | Notes | Ref. |
| Argentina | — | Pablo Prigioni* | 2018–present | 5 | Also holds Italian citizenship. | |
| Australia | — | Adam Caporn* | 2022–present | 1 | — | |
| Australia | — | Damian Cotter* | 2020–present | 3 | — | |
| Australia | — | Trevor Gleeson* | 2021–present | 2 | — | |
| Australia | — | Matthew Nielsen* | 2021–present | 2 | — | |
| Belize | United States | Marlon Garnett* | 2015–present | 8 | Born in the United States to Belizean parents, has dual U.S. and Belize citizenship. | |
| Brazil | — | Leandro Barbosa* | 2022–present | 1 | — | |
| Brazil | — | Tiago Splitter | 2019–2023 | 4 | — | |
| Canada | — | Gordon Herbert | 2008–2009 | 1 | Also holds Finnish citizenship. | |
| Canada | — | Jamaal Magloire | 2013–2016 | 3 | — | |
| Canada | — | Scott Morrison* | 2017–2021 2023–present | 4 | — | |
| Canada | Great Britain England | Roy Rana | 2019–2022 | 3 | — | |
| Canada | — | Jay Triano* | 2002–2008; 2012–2017; 2018–present | 16 | — | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) | Patrick Mutombo | 2012–2015; 2016–2020 | 9 | Also holds Belgian citizenship. | |
| Croatia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia) | Neven Spahija | 2014–2017; 2019–2020 | 4 | — | |
| Eswatini | — | Jama Mahlalela* | 2012–2018; 2020–present | 9 | Also holds Canadian citizenship. | |
| Finland | — | Tuomas Iisalo* | 2024–present | 0 | | |
| France | United States | James Wade* | 2023–present | 0 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized French citizen. | |
| Germany | West Germany (now Germany) | Detlef Schrempf | 2005–2007 | 2 | — | |
| Georgia | United States | Tyrone Ellis | 2017–2018 | 1 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Georgian citizen. | |
| Great Britain Scotland | — | Alex McKechnie | 2013–2020 | 7 | — | |
| Great Britain England | United States | Nate Reinking* | 2021–present | 1 | — | |
| Greece | — | Fotios Katsikaris | 2018–2019 | 1 | — | < |
| Ireland | United States | Jay Larrañaga* | 2012–present | 11 | Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship. | |
| Ireland | United States | Jim Moran | 2015–2023 | 8 | Born in the United States to Irish parents, has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship. | |
| Israel | United States | Josh Oppenheimer* | 2013–2017; 2020–present | 8 | Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship. | |
| Italy | United States | Mike D'Antoni | 1997–1998; 2000–2001; 2002–2003; 2015–2016; 2020–2021 | 5 | Born in the United States to Italian parents, has dual U.S. and Italian citizenship. | |
| Italy | United States | Anthony Dobbins* | 2018–present | 5 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Italian citizen. | |
| Italy | — | Riccardo Fois | 2019–2021 | 2 | — | |
| Italy | — | Ettore Messina | 2014–2019 | 5 | — | |
| Italy | — | Sergio Scariolo | 2018–2021 | 3 | — | |
| Jordan | United States | Maz Trakh | 2010–2014; 2016–2019 | 7 | Born in the United States, has dual U.S. and Jordanian citizenship. | |
| Lithuania | Soviet Union (now Lithuania) | Darius Songaila* | 2019–present | 4 | — | |
| Nigeria | United States | Ekpe Udoh* | 2023–present | 0 | Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship. | |
| Nigeria | United States | Ime Udoka | 2012–2021 | 9 | Born in the United States to Nigerian parents, has dual U.S. and Nigerian citizenship. | |
| North Macedonia | United States | Shayne Whittington* | 2023–present | 0 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Macedonian citizen. | |
| Palestine | — | Mahmoud Abdelfattah | 2022–2023 | 1 | Also holds U.S. citizenship. | |
| Philippines | United States | Chip Engelland* | 1999–2000; 2003–present | 21 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Filipino citizen. | |
| Poland | — | Marcin Gortat* | 2022–present | 1 | — | |
| Russia | United States | Becky Hammon | 2014–2022 | 8 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Russian citizen. | |
| Senegal | — | DeSagana Diop | 2016–2022 | 6 | — | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Aleksandar Džikić | 2005–2007 | 2 | — | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Igor Kokoškov* | 2000–2018; 2019–2020; 2021–present | 21 | Also holds U.S. citizenship as of 2010. | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Dejan Milojević | 2021–2024 | 3 | Died during the 2023–24 season. | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Darko Rajaković | 2014–2023 | 9 | — | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Ivo Simović* | 2023–present | 0 | — | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Ognjen Stojaković* | 2016–present | 7 | — | |
| Serbia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia) | Nenad Trajković | 2010–2011 | 1 | — | |
| Slovakia | United States | Kristi Toliver* | 2018–present | 5 | Born in the United States, became a naturalized Slovak citizen. | |
| Slovenia | SFR Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) | Marko Milič* | 2022–present | 1 | — | |
| Spain | — | Jordi Fernández | 2016–2024 | 7 | — | |
| Spain | — | Sergi Oliva | 2020–2022 | 2 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Erdem Can | 2021–2022 | 1 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Mehmet Okur | 2016–2017 | 1 | — | |
| Ukraine | Soviet Union (now Ukraine) | Vitaly Potapenko* | 2010–2011; 2013–2017; 2018–present | 10 | — | |
| United States | Cuba | Octavio De La Grana* | 2010–2012 2016–present | 9 | Born in Cuba, moved to the United States at the age of 6, became a naturalized U.S. citizen. | |
| United States | Jamaica | Patrick Ewing | 2002–2017 | 15 | Born in Jamaica, moved to the United States at the age of 11, became a naturalized U.S. citizen. | |
| United States | Romania | Ernie Grunfeld | 1989–1991 | 2 | Born in Romania, moved to the United States at the age of 8, became a naturalized U.S. citizen. | |
| United States | U.S. Virgin Islands | Tim Duncan | 2019–2020 | 1 | — | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | United States | David Vanterpool | 2012–2022 | 10 | Born on the United States mainland, represented U.S. Virgin Islands internationally. | |