Steve Kerr wins the 2014-15 Rudy Tomjanovich Award

Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors has won the 2014-15 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors a coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced today.

In his first season as Golden State’s head coach, Kerr guided his team to a league-best 67-15 record and fostered an atmosphere of mutual respect, thoughtfulness and congeniality with the working media.

The PBWA selected five finalists for the award this season. The other finalists were the Toronto Raptors’ Dwane Casey, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Doc Rivers, the Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens and the Detroit Pistons’ Stan Van Gundy.

Kerr won the award through a vote of PBWA members.

Kerr, 49, brought experience as an NBA player, team executive and television analyst to his job with the Warriors.

He won a total of five NBA titles as a player, winning three championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls and two more as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

He spent three seasons as the Phoenix Suns’ president of basketball operations and general manager.

And he also served as a color commentator on TNT’s NBA coverage.

The award is named for Rudy Tomjanovich, the former Houston Rockets player and former Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers coach who always was professional and respectful in his dealings with the media. During his 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, Tomjanovich amassed a 527-416 regular-season record and a 51-39 postseason record. His Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

The PBWA is composed of approximately 175 writers and editors who cover the NBA on a regular basis for newspapers, online outlets and magazines.

Kerr will receive his Rudy Tomjanovich Award trophy during an on-court ceremony prior to an upcoming Warriors postseason game in Oakland, Calif.

Rudy Tomjanovich Award winners
2010-11 Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz
2011-12 Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics
2012-13 George Karl, Denver Nuggets
2013-14 Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers
2014-15 Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors