Steve Kerr Secures Two-Year Contract Extension to Stay with Warriors
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Steve Kerr has reached a two-year agreement to remain head coach of the Golden State Warriors, the team confirmed Saturday after three weeks of negotiations.
The deal, finalized with representatives Dan Eveloff and Rick Smith of Priority Sports, keeps Kerr at the helm for what will be his 13th season and preserves his status as the NBA’s highest-paid coach. He earned $17.5 million last season, according to league sources.
Kerr, 60, met several times in recent weeks with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, discussing offensive philosophy, roster direction and contract terms. Club insiders said financial figures were not the main hurdle; both sides focused on making “the best basketball decision.”
The agreement extends Kerr’s tenure through at least the 2027-28 campaign, covering the closing chapters of the Stephen Curry era. Golden State finished 37-45 this season, landed the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference and fell to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in round.
Return Not Guaranteed
During training camp in October, Kerr announced he would not seek an extension until after the season, raising the possibility of departure. Team leadership quietly explored potential replacements, but Lacob, Dunleavy and Curry all favored continuity. “I want Coach to be happy,” Curry said after the play-in loss. “He knows how I feel about him.”
A Resumé Among the Greats
Hired in May 2014, Kerr has guided the Warriors to four championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) and six NBA Finals appearances. He reached 600 regular-season wins this year in just 943 games, the fourth-fastest mark in league history behind Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich. Kerr is one of only six coaches with at least four NBA titles.
Golden State posted an NBA-record 73 wins in 2015-16, and Kerr has coached two league MVPs seasons by Curry, including the first unanimous selection in 2016. His tenure has included turbulence—back surgery complications forced two absences, and the Warriors have missed the playoffs four times in seven years—but management opted to stay the course.
Next on the Calendar
The Warriors own the 11th-best odds in Sunday’s NBA draft lottery, giving them a 9.4 percent chance to jump into the top four and a 77.6 percent likelihood of staying at No. 11. With Kerr secured and Curry under contract for one more season—extension talks are expected later this summer—the front office plans an aggressive offseason in free agency and the trade market.
Source: ESPN
