Los Angeles Lakers: 5 best coaches in franchise history to never win a ring

1. Del Harris (1994-99)

Easily the greatest Lakers coach to never win a championship, Del Harris was a star in his own right during a time when Los Angeles had plenty of them on the roster. His 224-116 record as the leader of the purple and gold provides evidence of that.

Here’s the first awesome stat you need to know about Harris’ time with the Lakers. During his four seasons as the head coach, the team improved on its record every year. After turning a lottery team into a 48-34 squad in Year 1, he would lead Los Angeles to records of 53-29, 56-26 and 61-21 over the next three seasons.

During his first year with the Lakers, Harris also earned Coach of the Year honors following the aforementioned turnaround. Although a loss in the Western Conference semifinals was the eventual outcome, the team’s 180-degree flip in only one year was a miraculous feat for any coach. Then again, West’s efforts as general manager helped.

Even though he was ousted midway through the strike-shortened 1994-95 season, Harris left an unmistakable impression on this franchise. He brought the Lakers back to relevance, allowing Jackson to take over the next season and carve out a path to five more titles.

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Like every other coach on this list, Harris’ time as the Lakers’ head honcho was short. In those four years, though, he set the stage for a resurgence.