Steve Kerr To Return As Head Coach Of The Golden State Warriors

Steve Kerr is staying as head coach of the Golden State Warriors after agreeing a new two-year contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The agreement, reached on Saturday, means next season will be Kerr’s 13th in charge and comes soon after Golden State missed the playoffs.

The extension keeps Kerr as the NBA’s highest-paid coach on an annual basis, with Charania reporting Kerr "made $17.5 million next season." The deal arrives following weeks of speculation that the Warriors might move in a different direction after a difficult campaign.

Charania reported that representatives Dan Eveloff and Rick Smith of PrioritySports played central roles in the negotiations. Discussions between Kerr and the Warriors lasted around three weeks before both sides reached agreement. The new contract ensures continuity for a franchise that has built its modern identity around Kerr’s leadership and style.

Golden State’s struggles in the 2025-26 season framed those talks. The Warriors finished 37-45, placed 10th in the Western Conference and entered the play-in bracket. Their year ended with defeat against the Phoenix Suns, a result that confirmed the team would not reach the main playoff field.

Kerr has led the Warriors since 2014 and guided the team to a dominant era. Across eight seasons, Golden State reached six NBA Finals and collected four championships. The team also set a landmark during 2015-16, when the Warriors went 73-9 in the regular season.

That 73-9 record passed the 72-win mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Kerr was a player on that Bulls team, giving direct links between two of the league’s most successful regular seasons. The Warriors’ run under Kerr became one of the defining stories of modern NBA competition.

Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors head coach mindset and coaching legacy

The Warriors’ recent slide raised questions about how long the partnership would continue. After the loss in Phoenix, Kerr addressed the wider cycle that coaches often face. "I still love coaching, but I get it," Kerr said the night his team was eliminated in Phoenix. "These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens, and when that ends, sometimes its time for new blood and new ideas."

Kerr’s profile extends beyond the coaching box. Before taking over Golden State, Kerr won five NBA titles as a player, with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Those experiences, combined with four coaching titles, give Kerr nine championships in total across both roles, placing Kerr among the league’s most decorated figures.

Key elements of Kerr’s achievements with the Warriors are summarised below.

The new agreement gives the Warriors stability on the bench as they try to return to contention in the Western Conference. Kerr’s long history with the franchise, combined with proven success at the highest level, ensures the organisation enters the next two seasons with a familiar voice and clear structure.