This is the second NBA Coach of the Year Award for Thibodeau, who earned the honour in the 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls in his first season as an NBA head coach. Now honoured in his first season as the Knicks’ head coach, Thibodeau has become the first person to be named NBA Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach with two different franchises. (Cotton Fitzsimmons won the award in his first season as the Kansas City Kings’ head coach, 1978-79, and again in the first season of his second tenure as the Phoenix Suns’ head coach, 1988-89).
Here are all the NBA Coach Of The Year award winners in history:
| 1962-63 – Harry Gallatin, St. Louis | 1982-83 – Don Nelson, Milwaukee | 2002-03 – Gregg Popovich, San Antonio |
| 1963-64 – Alex Hannum, San Francisco | 1983-84 – Frank Layden, Utah | 2003-04 – Hubie Brown, Memphis |
| 1964-65 – Red Auerbach, Boston | 1984-85 – Don Nelson, Milwaukee | 2004-05 – Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix |
| 1965-66 – Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia | 1985-86 – Mike Fratello, Atlanta | 2005-06 – Avery Johnson, Dallas |
| 1966-67 – Johnny Kerr, Chicago | 1986-87 – Mike Schuler, Portland | 2006-07 – Sam Mitchell, Toronto |
| 1967-68 – Richie Guerin, St. Louis | 1987-88 – Doug Moe, Denver | 2007-08 – Byron Scott, New Orleans |
| 1968-69 – Gene Shue, Baltimore | 1988-89 – Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix | 2008-09 – Mike Brown, Cleveland |
| 1969-70 – Red Holzman, New York | 1989-90 – Pat Riley, L.A. Lakers | 2009-10 – Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City |
| 1970-71 – Dick Motta, Chicago | 1990-91 – Don Chaney, Houston | 2010-11 – Tom Thibodeau, Chicago |
| 1971-72 – Bill Sharman, L.A. Lakers | 1991-92 – Don Nelson, Golden State | 2011-12 – Gregg Popovich, San Antonio |
| 1972-73 – Tom Heinsohn, Boston | 1992-93 – Pat Riley, New York | 2012-13 – George Karl, Denver |
| 1973-74 – Ray Scott, Detroit | 1993-94 – Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta | 2013-14 – Gregg Popovich, San Antonio |
| 1974-75 – Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha | 1994-95 – Del Harris, L.A. Lakers | 2014-15 – Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta |
| 1975-76 – Bill Fitch, Cleveland | 1995-96 – Phil Jackson, Chicago | 2015-16 – Steve Kerr, Golden State |
| 1976-77 – Tom Nissalke, Houston | 1996-97 – Pat Riley, Miami | 2016-17 – Mike D’Antoni, Houston |
| 1977-78 – Hubie Brown, Atlanta | 1997-98 – Larry Bird, Indiana | 2017-18 – Dwane Casey, Toronto |
| 1978-79 – Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City | 1998-99 – Mike Dunleavy, Portland | 2018-19 – Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee |
| 1979-80 – Bill Fitch, Boston | 1999-00 – Doc Rivers, Orlando | 2019-20 – Nick Nurse, Toronto |
| 1980-81 – Jack McKinney, Indiana | 2000-01 – Larry Brown, Philadelphia | 2020-21 – Tom Thibodeau, New York |
| 1981-82 – Gene Shue, Washington | 2001-02 – Rick Carlisle, Detroit |
