Sports

In First Comments Since Warriors Return, Steve Kerr Admits ‘I Have to Be Better'

By Brigid Kennedy Sports Illustrated

Last week, the Warriors announced they agreed to a new two-year contractwith longtime coach Steve Kerr, who has been with the team since 2014.

On Friday, Kerr sat down with reporters for the first time since news of his return broke, explaining his decision to continue with the Dubs, as well as his goals for next season.

"I couldn't be more excited to continue on this job. We had a great process in the last few weeks trying to figure this out together, collaboratively," Kerr told the media in his opening statement. "We spent a couple weeks trying to figure out if the best thing for the franchise was me coming back. And ultimately, for me, I took about a week to really think about whether it was the right thing for me. My wife and I spoke every day about it. And the bottom line was I still love what I do.

"I couldn't imagine walking away from the Warriors. So at that point, it was really, 'What do you guys want to do?' And we had great meetings. And over the course of about a week, we all agreed: Let's do it. And here I am."

Kerr also said that, although he spoke to team stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green about his decision, neither player was a factor in the end.

"They did not have any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach, and that's a credit to them," Kerr continued. "I know [Steph] wanted me to coach, and I wanted to coach him. And that mattered. But ultimately, we have a really special, strong bond that should carry over into our success as a team."

The Warriors' 2025-26 campaign did not go as planned. The franchise has been vocal about its desire to compete for another championship before Curry hangs it up for good, but that effort has fallen short in recent years. This past season, during which Curry missed a large swath of games with a lingering knee issue and star Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, among other team-wide injury issues, the organization ultimately missed the postseason after losing in the play-in tournament.

So, although he is returning for another go, Kerr nonetheless recognized that things need to change; the status quo will not be good enough if the franchise is to be set up for success.

"I think the last couple years have been difficult, frankly, with the collective age of our team. The injuries. I think we had six guys this year who couldn't play back-to-backs or had minutes restrictions, often at the same time," he said Friday. "And I think I, really, frankly, gave everyone too much leeway. It just felt like we were constantly resting everybody, and just trying to survive until the next game.

"I think we lost some of our discipline. We got a little loose. And that's my job."

Kerr was specifically concerned about Golden State's rampant turnovers, for which the Dubs were tied for the third-worst (15.7 per game) in the NBA last season.

Moreover, the former NBA champion didn't hold back in his critique of himself, either.

"I know I have to be better. I didn't have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better," he said. "We got a little too loose [this year]. ... I gotta tighten the ship up next year."

And, of course, Kerr touched on the fact that the Dubs have plenty of work to do regarding roster construction over the offseason. Speaking of, the front office has the 11th pick in the draft this year-assuming that pick is used (rather than traded away), Kerr is committed to developing (and playing) the chosen athlete going forward.

"Totally. I think that's a huge factor. We're in a different place now," he said when asked if he would play and develop a rookie. "It's obvious with where we are with the injuries to Moses [Moody], to Jimmy. You look at our depth on the wings, that guy has to play. He's gotta earn it," the coach emphasized. "But we're committed to the development of our young players and trying to do this thing in a way that allows for success down the road."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as In First Comments Since Warriors Return, Steve Kerr Admits ‘I Have to Be Better'.

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 3:36 PM.

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