With his contract set to expire, all signs are pointing to Steve Kerr walking away from the Golden State Warriors barring a sudden change of heart.
Kerr entered the season in September by dismissing the idea of extending his contract with the team as he prepared for one final push for an NBA title.
Now, with the Warriors eliminated from the playoffs following a play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns, every indication leads to Kerr leaving the franchise he’s led since 2014.
Kerr, a four-time NBA champion as a coach, is expected to reveal his decision in a matter of days, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Pool.
The outlet reports that Kerr will likely require ‘having renewed faith in his role’ in order for his head to turn back to coaching the Warriors.
‘They could offer Steve $25 million a year,’ one league source told NBC Sports, ‘and I doubt that alone would make a difference.’
Steve Kerr is set to depart the Golden State Warriors barring a sudden change of heart
Kerr helped transform the Warriors into a dynasty, winning four NBA titles as a coach
But after losing in the NBA play-in tournament, Kerr will likely be leaving the team
Kerr took over the Warriors from Mark Jackson in 2014 and promptly led the team with the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to their first NBA title a season later.
From there, the Warriors became a dynasty – reaching five straight NBA Finals and winning three of them.
Kerr’s teams helped completely change the way that NBA teams were constructed thanks to their ‘small ball’ lineup – where Green played center while shooters Curry and Barnes were flanked by the likes of Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala to bomb triples from deep at a relentless and unbearable pace.
After losing to LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, the Warriors replaced Barnes with Kevin Durant to form one of the most hated teams in the NBA.
They’d go on to win back-to-back titles with Durant in the lineup – beating the Cavaliers in five games in 2017 before sweeping them in 2018.
Golden State lost the 2019 NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors, but returned again in 2022 to beat the young Boston Celtics in six games.
University of Florida coach Todd Golden is atop the list of potential candidates to replace Kerr
If Kerr departs, the rumored top name on the list to replace him is that of University of Florida head coach Todd Golden.
Golden has a relationship with Warriors owner Joe Lacob from his time coaching the basketball team at the University of San Francisco.
The coach left the Dons for the Gators, where he won the 2025 national championship.
