Basketball Hall of Fame 2025: The Coaches
Learn about the coaches who have recently been named finalists for the Class of 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame.
Every year, The Naismith Basketball of Fame names a short group of individuals to be elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame. That time has finally arrived, the finalists for the 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame class has been announced, this article will detail the 6 coaches that were named as finalists.
All images used in this article are credited to the Naismith Basketball of Fame.
Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan is the current head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. He previously served as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Florida Gators, Marshall Thundering Herd, and was an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Throughout his 19-year tenure with the Florida Gators, Donovan led his teams to:
2 NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007.
4 NCAA regional championships in the Final Four (2000, 2006, 2007, 2014).
4 SEC tournament championships (2005, 2006, 2007, 2014).
6 SEC regular season championships (2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014).
Coach Donovan also won back-to-back NCAA national championships with the Gators in 2006 and 2007. He finished his coaching tenure with an overall coaching record of 467–186, the most wins by a coach in program history, and is also a 3x Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year (2011, 2013, 2014).
During his colligate coaching career, Donovan has won the:
John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2010.
Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award in 2006.
SoCon Coach of the Year in 1995.
Jerry Welsh
Jerry Welsh will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions as the head coach of SUNY Potsdam’s men’s basketball team, the Bears. Welsh guided the Bears to two NCAA championships in 1981 and 1986. Welsh’s teams also earned three national runners-up and nine East Regional titles.
Following the 1985-86 national championship, the Bears became the first college team to have a perfect season since 1976. They continued winning well into the 1986-87 season, reaching a total of 60 consecutive wins, the second-longest winning streak in college basketball history.
Coach Welsh had an overall coaching record of 494 wins and 141 losses with the program.
Tal Brody
Tal Brody, best known as the longtime head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, an Israelsen basketball club. Brody was selected 12th in the 1965 National Basketball Association Draft by the Baltimore Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards.
He played for the USA team in the 1965 Maccabiah Games, the international Jewish Olympics. He led the team to a gold medal, playing alongside Ronald Green, Steve Chubin, and Ron Watts. Afterwards, he was invited to play basketball for the Maccabi Tel Aviv by the managers of the team. In August 1966, the NBA's St. Louis Hawks traded the rights to Brody, but he decided to return to Israel and play for the Tel Aviv.
Regardless the political situations surrounding Israel, Brody remained to reside and play in the country. Despite Brody not being an official coach of the team, his playing style, experience, and knowledge reshaped the entire program and how Israeli basketball was viewed internationally.
During his time with Tel Aviv, he accomplished:
FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer: 1967.
Israeli Sportsman of the Year: 1967.
10× Israeli League Champion (1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980).
6× Israeli State Cup Winner: (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980).
EuroLeague champion: 1977.
FIBA European Selection: 1978.
Israel Prize: 1979.
101 Greats of European Basketball: 2018.
Mark Few
Mark Few started his Colligate coaching career as a graduate assistant under Dan Fitzgerald for the Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball team, the only team he’s been coaching for his entire career. A season later, he became an assistant coach for the team up until 1999 when he became the head coach of the program.
Throughout his 25 year career as the head coach of the Bulldogs, Coach Few has led his team to:
2× NCAA Division I Regional appearances in the Final Four (2017, 2021).
19× WCC tournament appearances (2000–2002, 2004–2007, 2009, 2011, 2013–2018, 2020–2023).
22× WCC regular season championships (2001–2011, 2013–2023).
Meanwhile, Coach Few himself, has won:
AP Coach of the Year in 2017.
2017 and 2021 NABC Coach of the Year.
2017 and 2021 Naismith Coach of the Year.
14× WCC Coach of the Year (2001–2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017–2019, 2021).
As a result of Few’s coaching and Gonzaga’s success, several of his players have moved on to be drafted and play in the NBA notably: Dan Dickau, Adam Morrison, Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert, Robert Sacre, Domantas Sabonis, Zach Collins, Brandon Clarke, Andrew Nembhard, Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren, Julian Strawther, and David Stockton.
As of February 14, 2025, Few has an overall coaching record of 735–150 with Gonzaga.
Dušan Ivković
Dušan Ivković is known as one of the greatest FIBA coaches of all time, being elected into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017 and named 1 of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008.
He played with the Radnički Beograd for his entire 10 year playing career (1958-1968), where he became an assistant coach shortly after retiring and becoming the head coach of the team from 1982-1984.
Coach Ivković has won two EuroLeague Championships, both with the Olympiacos in 1997 and 2012, which was also when he also won EuroLeague Coach of the Year. His extensive resume also includes:
Won the 2006 ULEB Cup with BC Dynamo Moscow.
European Triple Crown winner (1997).
European Small Triple Crown winner (1979).
FIBA Saporta Cup champion with the AEK Athens in 2000.
FIBA Korać Cup champion with the Partizan Mozzart Bet in 1979.
3× Greek League champion (1992, 1997, 2012).
3× Russian League champion (2003–2005).
Yugoslav League champion (1979).
First B Federal League champion (1988).
4× Greek Cup winner (1997, 2000, 2001, 2011).
Russian Cup winner (2005).
Yugoslav Cup winner with Partizan Mozzart Bet in 1979.
Turkish Cup winner (2015).
Turkish Super Cup winner (2015).
FIBA Hall of Fame (2019).
FIBA European Coach of the Year (1997).
2× FIBA EuroStar (1996, 1997).
Russian League Coach of the Year (2004).
2× Greek League Coach of the Year (1997, 2012).
All-Greek Sport's Coach of the Year (2012).
Greek League Hall of Fame (2022).
Named 1 of 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008.
Named EuroLeague Legend in 2017.
Piva Ivković Award for Lifetime Achievement (1998).
As assistant coach: FIBA Korać Cup champion as an assistant coach with Partizan Mozzart Bet in 1978.
Coach Ivković, unfortunately passed away on September 16, 2021, but his legacy will forever be solidified in this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Mike Krzyzewski (Team USA)
Mike Krzyzewski, famously known as “Coach K”, will be inducted into the Hall of fame a second time as part of Team USA’s “Redeem Team”. The 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team featured some of the greatest basketball players including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Jason Kidd, and Carmelo Anthony amongst the talented roster that will be inducted into this year’s hall of fame.
The United States went 5-0 in the preliminary round and later defeated Australia, Argentina, and Spain to win the gold medal. Dwyane Wade was the leading scorer for team USA averaging 16 points per game.
Coach Krzyzewski previously was inducted into the basketball of fame in 2001 for leading a dominant Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team for 21 years at the time which included 4 NCAA Division I men's basketball championships and being named a 3× Naismith College Coach of the Year in 1989, 1992, and 1999.
This is absolutely a great group of coaches who will inducted into the Basketball of Fame in 2025. Congratulations to everyone that has been honored on this list and we are looking forward to seeing and hearing this year’s hall of fame event.