Steve Kerr Returns To Golden State Warriors On 2-Year Deal

The Steve Kerr era in Golden State isn’t over just yet.

ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that Kerr will be returning as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, though likely not in the long term they had hoped for.

“Steve Kerr has agreed on a new two-year contract to return as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. After three weeks of extensive conversations, Kerr and the Warriors agreed to continue their legendary partnership in what will be his 13th season and beyond as Warriors coach.”

At 60 years old, Kerr has plenty of coaching years left, but a two-year deal shows he’s trying to wrap things up pretty soon in a farewell-tour fashion.

It also means that the Warriors should be actively looking for a successor since he’ll be gone at the beginning of the 2029 season.

By that time, Steph Curry will be 40 years old, and he hasn’t expressed whether he plans on trying to beat LeBron James for the oldest NBA player ever, so the Warriors can look very different very soon.

But the Warriors are very much living in the now as their dynasty comes to a close, and despite the specifics not being disclosed, Kerr will remain the highest-paid coach in the league. For reference, last season Kerr made $17.5 million.

“It was never going to be about money,” one team source told ESPN. “We had to make the best basketball decision.”

The decision to return comes three weeks after deliberations with Golden State controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, where the team’s future was extensively examined.

Fans weren’t too optimistic he’d return when he shared a sideline huddle with Draymond Green and Curry at the end of the season to tell them, “I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you.” 

Even Curry seemed half-certain he’d be retiring when asked at the end of the season.

“He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said. But however it goes, you’re excited about, or not excited, you’re thankful for what we’ve been able to accomplish over this run. Thankful for an opportunity, hopefully, to put it together to do something again next year.”

But now that he’s back in the mix for the next couple of seasons, see social media’s reaction below.