Who is Mark Daigneault? Meet the Thunder's young star head coach
Who is Mark Daigneault? Meet the Thunder's young star head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Just a year after a young head coach won the NBA Finals, the 2025 championship matchup could feature a similar scenario.
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Last season, Joe Mazzulla became the youngest head coach since 1970 to win the NBA championship when the Boston Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Mazzulla was 35 years and 353 days old at the time.
In the 2025 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault would still be one of the youngest head coaches to win a championship.
Daigneault is in his first NBA head-coaching role after taking over in 2020. He was the head coach of Oklahoma City's developmental team, the Blue, from 2014 to 2019 following some years as an assistant coach at the college level.
Now in the fifth year of his job, Daigneault can help Oklahoma City make history with a series win when it faces the Indiana Pacers, led by head coach Rick Carlisle, who has two NBA rings to his name (in 1986 as a player and in 2011 as the Mavs' head coach).
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Here's everything to know about Daigneault, the Thunder head coach:
Who is the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach?
The Thunder head coach is Mark Daigneault.
Where is Mark Daigneault from?
Daigneault is a Massachusetts native. He was born in Leominster, Worcester County.
How old is Mark Daigneault?
Daigneault is 40 years old. He was born on Feb. 23, 1985.
Did Mark Daigneault play in the NBA?
No, Daigneault did not play basketball at college or the NBA but attended UConn and Florida.
How many teams has Mark Daigneault coached?
Daigneault has just coached the Thunder at the professional level. He joined in 2020 and has seen a steady growth from record and playoff-run standpoints.
What is Mark Daigneault's record with the Thunder?
Here's a year-by-year look at Daigneault's record since joining Oklahoma City:
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2020-21: 22-50
2021-22: 24-58
2022-23: 40-42
2023-24: 57-25 (lost in second round to Dallas 4-2)
2024-25: 68-14 (NBA championship finalists)
What is Mark Daigneault's coaching style?
Daigneault is a progressive coach who continuously adds to his clipboard with new tactics and schemes. He's been touted as open-minded and innovative, finding new ways to optimize his players, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becoming the league MVP and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren developing into top-three players on a championship finalist team.
Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are also examples of players on the squad who improved and moved into key roles under Daigneault.
What are Mark Daigneault's coaching accolades?
Since joining the Thunder in 2020, Daigneault has won the NBA Coach of the Year award once, in 2023-24. He was named an NBA All-Star Game coach in 2025. He could add an NBA title to his resume should Oklahoma City beat Indiana for the franchise's first ever championship, too.
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