J.B. Bickerstaff, who orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in Detroit from a 14-win team a couple of seasons ago to the No. 1 seed in the East this past season, has been voted Coach of the Year by his peers.
Bickerstaff won the Michael H. Goldberg Coach of the Year for 2025-26 from the National Basketball Coaches Association.
“I’m extremely honored to receive this recognition from my coaching peers,” Bickerstaff said in a statement accepting the awards. “None of this is possible without the many people I’ve been blessed with along my journey, beginning with my dad, who has always been my inspiration for wanting to get into this profession, and my family for their love and support. I also owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all the coaches I’ve worked with and learned from throughout my career.”
Detroit went 60-22 this season to grab the No. 1 seed in the East, despite Cade Cunningham missing 11 games late in the season with a collapsed lung. The Pistons got there thanks to the second-best defense in the league this season.
It should be noted that this award is different than the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award (voted on by select members of the media), but because this one comes from other coaches, it is maybe more meaningful for the winners. This coach’s award is also a bellwether for the NBA’s official award, with seven of the last nine winners picking up both COY honors.
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