There are plenty of conversations happening around the head coaches in the NBA at the moment. Some franchises are considering firing who they have employed already while the others are wrapped up in looking for new ones. However, amidst all this drama, no one is happier than Monty Williams. Why? Well, the 52-year-old has been fired twice in the last two years, yet has managed to make a whopping $85 million in that time.
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Williams was with the Phoenix Suns from 2019 to 2023. His contract at the time stipulated that he would receive $25 million over the course of five years.
During his time with the Arizona side, he was awarded the Coach of the Year in 2022 and took his team to the playoffs in his final three years. However, after his fourth year, he was fired from the job. However, he secured a $20 million buyout when he left Phoenix.
After this, Williams was reportedly looking forward to taking a year off. But then, the Pistons came knocking at his door with an offer he just couldn’t refuse.
Williams signed a record six-year, $78 million deal with the Detroit Pistons. During the tenure of his contract, the franchise expected him to build the franchise up from a lottery-bound team, to one that consistently went to the playoffs.
Full ESPN story on Detroit Pistons ownership dismissing coach Monty Williams, owing him $65M-plus on his deal https://t.co/6Rb7dvc2gE
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2024
Contrary to their expectations, the Pistons finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the 2023-24 season. With a 14-68 record, they were also the worst team in the league across both the conferences.
Understandably, the Pistons decided to fire him recently, but by no means did it leave Williams empty-handed. Williams has secured a $65 million buyout, which now brings his earnings in the last two years to a staggering $85 million.
The Monty Williams timeline…
May 2023: Fired by the Phoenix Suns, securing a $20 million-plus buyout.
June 2023: Hired by the Detroit Pistons, securing a 6-year, $78.5 million deal — the largest coaching contract in NBA history at the time.
June 2024: Fired by the Detroit… pic.twitter.com/3prkKnyoGD
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 19, 2024
Owner of the Detroit Pistons, Tom Gores recently spoke on why the franchise let Monty Williams go after nothing more than a single season. He said per Yardbarker,
“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication. Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”
The highest-paid coach in the league currently is the Golden State Warriors man, Steve Kerr. He signed a two-year, $35 million extension deal with the franchise earlier in February. This makes his annual earnings $17.5 million. Before Kerr’s extension, this record belonged to Gregg Popovich who makes $16 million a year with the San Antonio Spurs.
However, even with their salaries in mind, it is hard to imagine any head coach in the NBA earning nearly as much as Monty Williams’ incredible payout. Perhaps the former Suns coach will now be a trailblazer in how coaches negotiate clauses in their contracts going forward.
