Steve Kerr had made up his mind he was going to retire as Golden State’s head coach after 12 seasons regardless of the outcome of their play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers in April. Kerr put the odds at 95%, but then the Warriors won, and everything changed.
“I’m not leaving,” Kerr told his staff in the locker room after the Clippers victory. Kerr’s wife, Margot Kerr, sent him a text that said the same thing.
The reversal came after months of genuine internal conflict. As far back as June 2025, Kerr had begun discussing retirement with his wife. He sensed the dynasty had run its course and worried about overstaying his welcome, having watched mentor Gregg Popovich struggle to walk away from the San Antonio Spurs before a stroke ultimately made the decision for him.
“I realized he couldn’t do it,” Kerr said of Popovich. “He couldn’t walk away.”
By the time the Warriors reached the play-in round, Kerr had grown increasingly certain his time was done. He told staff privately his decision was nearly final. But the victory over the Clippers, a furious comeback fueled by Al Horford hitting four straight three-pointers and Stephen Curry making the decisive play, reminded him of everything he stood to leave behind.
The following week he drove to Curry’s home in Atherton to get his star player’s read on the situation. He met with owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy. His daughter Maddy scolded him for dwelling on what he didn’t like about the job rather than the hundred things he did. Margot wanted him to stay, partly because it kept their son Nick and his family close by.
The competing emotional pulls were real and he acknowledged them directly.
“Coaching has unlocked the best version of myself,” Kerr said. “I think I’m scared that I will lose that daily engagement and purpose that not only feeds my soul, but helps me deal with my literal chronic daily pain.”
Lacob told Kerr he wanted him back. The two men, who had disagreed on some things during the season, shared a conviction that what the Warriors had built was worth protecting and fighting for. Kerr told Dunleavy he was in.
Kerr called Curry with the news and the two spoke about the road ahead. Draymond Green went on the “Inside the NBA” set and echoed the themes Kerr had outlined in a personal letter he had written to Green during a difficult stretch mid-season, a letter centered on loyalty, fighting spirit and the obligation to set the franchise up for success when the current core was gone.
Kerr laughed when he reflected on the full arc of his deliberations.
“I’m just like Riley,” he said, referencing Pat Riley’s famous inability to step away from the game.
Kerr had fielded numerous offers through his agent, including opportunities to become a team president or a return to broadcasting.
“I’m not a suit,” Kerr said of running a team’s front office as he did previously with the Phoenix Suns. “I want the whistle.”