5 Steve Kerr replacements the Warriors could start a new era with

Time is the universe's most unstoppable force. It comes for all of us. Steve Kerr, once a prodigy and a revolutionary on the Golden State Warriors sideline, may be approaching the end of his Bay Area tenure. Golden State's postseason hopes were dashed with a Play-In loss to Phoenix. The Dubs are now bound for the lottery, with the futures of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green increasingly uncertain.

In many ways, the league has caught up to Kerr. He's a great coach, no doubt, but a high volume of 3s and off-ball movement is standard for almost every competitive team. There's still only one Stephen Curry, and Kerr's system requires a unique level of processing skill and execution. But his scheme is no longer the outlier. It's the template.

Steve Kerr puts his Warriors future under the microscope

Kerr was caught on the mic late in the Warriors' season-ending loss to Phoenix, huddled with longtime stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. His words: "I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I love you guys."

Nothing is set in stone at this point, but Kerr is not under contract for next season. The Warriors can absolutely justify an extension — he's a four-time NBA champ and a legend in the organization — but the Golden State front office will need to reflect long and hard on this past season. Golden State is simply not build to contend anymore. Maybe the Warriors swap Draymond for Giannis and make another run. Or maybe, with Curry and Green both technically off the books after next season, the Dubs decide to bite the bullet and pivot to the future.

It's hard to imagine Curry going anywhere else, but Green was almost traded at the deadline a few months ago. Jimmy Butler will be coming off of a major knee injury and, at his age, it's hard to expect consistent, star-caliber production moving forward. Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and other key Golden State role players will enter free agency.

Even if Curry is guaranteed to retire in a Warriors uniform, Golden State can absolutely justify a pivot toward the future. And, given the diminishing returns of Kerr's offense and his spotty track record of player development, that could entail finding a new coach. Kerr will land on his feet. If he wants another coaching job, he won't have trouble finding one. For the Warriors, however, a bittersweet parting of the ways could be the best for all parties.

Here is where Golden State might turn in lieu of Kerr:

Sam Cassell, Boston Celtics assistant coach

Sam Cassell would join a long line of former NBA point guards turned head coach. The 56-year-old, who was a three-time champ in his playing days, has spent almost two decades as an assistant. He began under Flip Saunders in Washington before joining Doc Rivers in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. After Rivers was canned by the Sixers, Cassell defected to Joe Mazzulla's staff in Boston.

The Mazzulla tree in general feels like ripe fruit for any team in need of a coach, but Cassell's track record of player development — his close, hands-on work with Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia, in particular — and his reputation for developing strong interpersonal relationships in a clubhouse is exactly what a rebuilding team should hope for.

Cassell is less proven in the X's and O's department, but Saunders, Rivers and Mazzulla are all strong mentors in one way or another, and Cassell has that point guard I.Q. and a clear sense of how to develop players' individual strengths in a broader context. The Sixers' Harden-Maxey experiment does not flourish the way it did without Cassell working behind the scenes.

Chris Quinn, Miami Heat associate head coach

Chris Quinn spent six seasons in the NBA and became an assistant coach with the Miami Heat's G League affiliate a year after his retirement. He quickly worked his way up the ladder and is now the associate head coach under Erik Spoelstra — more or less the right-hand man for arguably the greatest coach of a generation.

Heat legend Udonis Haslem was extremely complimentary of Quinn to the Miami Herald in 2022:

"When you listen to Quinny, you’re hearing Spo. It’s the same message. If anybody has an opportunity to step into the next level sooner than later, it would be Quinny. He has the knowledge, the experience, the relationship with the players. He has every base covered when you talk about checking the boxes to have the ability to be a successful head coach."

Quinn also said he's not "rewriting the book," which means he probably transports very similar schematic and cultural tenets to whichever team hires him. The whole 'Heat Culture' mantra has its shooters and it detractors, but Miami's player development and constant ingenuity has kept the Heat relevant for much longer than that front office probably deserves. It seems like Quinn could step into the spotlight in Golden State and command immediate respect.

Tiago Splitter, Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach

After four straight losing seasons under Chancey Billups, the Blazers haphazardly handed the interim job to Tiago Splitter after Billups was arrested as part of an FBI probe into illegal gambling activities. Portland finished 13th in offensive and defensive efficiency and went 42-39 with Splitter on the sideline.

Whether or not he gets full credit for the turnaround is up for debate, but Splitter — a champion with the Spurs under Gregg Popovich in his playing days — brought a much-needed fresh air to the Blazers clubhouse. It seems like his tenure on the Blazers sideline will be short-lived, however, as new ownership plans to cheap out on their next hire.

Splitter is the rare former center to break through as a coach, and fairly quickly. But he was always a smart player — a willing participant in San Antonio's movement-heavy offenses of yore, with similar principles evoked in Portland. It's hard not to draw the line between Donovan Clingan's second-year leap and Splitter's ascent. Portland was always quite strong on defense, but their ability to deploy Clingan as more of a hub and a two-man dance partner for Portland's perimeter stars feels notable.

He stepped into a tough situation and quickly turned the Blazers around, with nothing but praise coming out of the Portland locker room. He feels like a safe bet to guide the Dubs long term. He's only 41, so there's a chance for Splitter to coach a very long time.

Sean Sweeney, San Antonio Spurs associate head coach

San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is the buzziest name in NBA coaching circles, per Eric Nehm and Fred Katz of The Athletic. There's probably a reason for that.

"He’s the top available (first-time NBA head coach) by a wide margin," a scout told The Athletic.

Sweeney spent time under Dwane Casey in Detroit and Jason Kidd in Dallas before joining Mitch Johnson in San Antonio. He has a chance to become the first Spurs coaching export in a while without a direct link to Gregg Popovich, which is a fun wrinkle — and a credit to the job Johnson and company have done rapidly transforming the Spurs back into contenders.

Before joining Casey in Detroit, Sweeney worked closely with Giannis Antetokounmpo as a development coach in Milwaukee. He spent time with Blake Griffin as his revolutionized his skill set with the Pistons. He was in Luka Dončić's ear during his come-up with the Mavs. That is a pretty compelling list of names.

Sweeney is credited for his relationship-building and tactical knowledge, playing a major role behind the scenes and on the sidelines. Also 41, he could prove to be a longtime presence in Golden State, if that's the route the Warriors take.

Todd Golden, Florida Gators head coach

If the Warriors (or any NBA team) hires from the college ranks, Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden is as strong a bet as any. His contract includes a $16 million buyout for other college jobs, but only a $3 million buyout if he leaves for the NBA, per The Athletic.

Golden spent three years at San Francisco, where he guided the Dons to the NCAA Tournament and an upset of No. 4 seed Virginia in 2022. He was swiftly catapulted to the big leagues at Florida. Within three years, he was an NCAA champion. This past season, Florida earned their second straight No. 1 seed. The Gators' title defense ended with a disappointing second-round exit in March, but that shouldn't taint Golden's reputation much at all.

Florida has proven quite adept at developing players and sending them to the NBA ranks with success; we've seen the likes of Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard find pro success, while Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and others are on that track currently. Haugh, in particular, went from a gritty role player in Florida's 2025 title run to the centerpiece of an elite team in 2026.

The track record for college coaches in the NBA ranks is spotty at best, and handing Golden a rebuilding roster could complicate his path to success. Same if he's immediately tasked with coaching and managing the egos of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. That said, he runs pro-style sets and knows how to extract maximum value from his players. His youth and new-age approach — plus his experience with coaching younger players — could make him a worthwhile dart throw for the Warriors front office.

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