When coaches accept new jobs, they often dance around the monetary factors that may have led to them accepting the position.
Monty Williams did not.
When asked why he accepted his new head coaching job with the Detroit Pistons, Williams cited three main reasons: “[GM] Troy [Weaver], the players and the money.”
Monty Williams on why he took the job.?
“Troy, the players and the money”
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) June 13, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Last month, Williams signed a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Pistons. The contract — which features 2029 and 2030 Club Options — could be worth up to $100 million with incentives.
This is now the largest coaching contract in NBA history, easily surpassing the $11.5 million per year contract for San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr ($9.5 million) and Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra ($8.5 million) are the next highest paid coaches in the league.
Williams was fired by the Phoenix Suns after failing to bring the team past the eventual-champion Denver Nuggets in Round 2 of this year’s postseason.