Sacramento HC Mike Brown becomes first unanimous COY winner

On Wednesday, Brown became the first coach in NBA history to win Coach of the Year honors unanimously, receiving all 100 first-place votes for the award.

Brown helped lead Sacramento to the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season and his squad has taken a 2-0 series lead against the Golden State Warriors, putting them two wins away from the conference semifinals for the first time since 2003-04.

The Kings hired Brown head coach on May 9, 2022, a decision that was warmly received by those around the league, though there was some skepticism as to how quickly things might come together for the long-struggling franchise under his leadership.

At the time of his hiring, the Sacramento Bee's Jason Anderson said that while "it's clear Brown is widely regarded as a good coach... there's a strong feeling the Kings still need to add talent and toughness ... to become a playoff team."

While the Kings added key contributors Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter during this past offseason, the franchise's ascent to the playoffs was largely due to the players already on the roster. 

Because of that, Brown was rightfully acknowledged for his major role in the team's 18-game swing from 30-52 last season to 48-34 this time around. Prior to joining the Kings, Brown served as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr with the Warriors, where he won three NBA titles (2017, 2018, 2022).

This was Brown's second COY win after he received the honor with 55 first-place votes following his 2008-09 season in Cleveland. Per ESPN Stats & Info, the 14-year gap between wins is the second-longest in NBA history.

Much like the end of Sacramento's playoff drought, Brown's decisive second Coach of the Year honors was well worth the wait.