1. Sean Sweeney
Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Sean Sweeney is younger but has climbed faster into influence. He’s now associate head coach with San Antonio, which is essentially a lead assistant role. He’s long been tied to Jason Kidd’s coaching tree, which is known for defensive structure. Sean Sweeney’s defensive schemes make him my personal favourite among the Joe Dumars’ Pelicans coaching candidates.
He started his coaching career as a video coordinator with the New Jersey Nets. From 2018 to 2021, Sweeney was an assistant coach with Detroit under Dwane Casey. In 2021, Sweeney joined the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach under Kidd. Sweeney also worked with Kidd as a member of the Nets and Milwaukee. This is where Sweeney separates himself: a 2022 Western Conference finals appearance and a 2024 NBA Finals appearance on his resume.
Sweeney has a strong reputation as a defensive coordinator-type coach, even being trusted with full control of schemes under Kidd. That’s a big deal. In coaching hierarchies, running a defense is often the closest thing to calling plays as a head coach. Another plus in Sweeney’s favour is that he has had multiple head coaching interviews in recent cycles.
Credit:© David Butler II-Imagn Images
