OKC Thunder's Mark Daigneault Receiving Well-Deserved Respect Among the NBA

The annual NBA GM Survey has been released, and Mark Daigneault is seeing high praise from it.

Oct 6, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Dickie's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault first put the league on notice back when the Thunder claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2023-24.

Leading the way for the youngest team in the NBA right off the rebound of what should have been a longer rebuild, Daigneault's ability to connect and coach his team expedited the process—and, as a result, acted as the anchor and captain in Oklahoma City's long, deserved playoff run which ended in the organization's first NBA championship.

Being one of the youngest coaches in the NBA at just 40 years of age, office executives around the league have really taken notice as to what he's doing. The 2024 NBA Coach of the Year, a 2025 Head Coach All-Star selection, that's been shown.

And recently, as the 2025-26 NBA season looms, general managers from around the league ranked Daigneault atop the best coaches in the entire association in the annual NBA GM Survey.

Coach Mark Daigneault during the Thunder Media Day for the 25-26 NBA season at the Paycom Center Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. | DOUG HOKE/THEOKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ranked just behind the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra, a two-time champion, six-time Eastern Conference champion and a whole lot more, Daigneault's name is now being thrown around with all-time coaches. He held 34% of the vote as second in the best coach in the NBA, while he landed in second when asked which head coach makes the best in-game adjustments, holding 23% of the vote.

Daigneault also tied for fourth for the best offensive coach in the league, and claimed the top spot among defensive coaches with 37% of the vote.

Daigneault's young team finally commanded the respect of critics last season due to its ability to go through a tough playoff run and come out on the other side unscathed, claiming its first-ever title—and Daigneault is now commanding that same level of respect from his peers and many others, solely from his performance in his position.

A quiet, humble and adept head coach, there was no other coach that better equipped this team last season to take home an NBA title.

And with the Thunder gearing up through the preseason for its 2025-26 campaign, Daigneault will hope to replicate what he and his guys did a season ago.

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