Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been named the winner of the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2025/26 season, earning Coach of the Year honors from the National Basketball Coaches Association, the league announced in a press release.
The award, created in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for themselves.
It is separate from the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is decided by media members and will be announced later this spring.
Bickerstaff has led a major turnaround in Detroit since taking over in 2024.
After a 14-68 season, the Pistons improved to 44-38 in his first year and then surged to 60-22 in 2025/26 – just the third 60-win season in franchise history and their first in two decades.
Detroit ranked second in defensive rating (108.9) and tied for the league’s No. 2 net rating (+8.4), despite Cade Cunningham missing 18 games.
The NBCA award has often predicted the NBA’s Coach of the Year, with seven of nine winners also earning that honor, including Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson in 2025.
Still, the race remains competitive, with seven coaches receiving votes, “reflecting the depth of coaching excellence in the NBA this season.”
Alongside Bickerstaff, Mark Daigneault, Mitch Johnson, Charles Lee, Joe Mazzulla, Quin Snyder and Tiago Splitter also received votes.
J.B. Bickerstaff Wins Coaches Association Award https://t.co/5YtdyONscm pic.twitter.com/ZzjYYph9ad
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 17, 2026
