Having a well-rounded and cohesive roster is one of the ingredients to winning an NBA championship. However, winning championships doesn't just require a solid group of players. It also requires a great head coach who can initiate a system and lead the squad from the sidelines.

Throughout the years, we’ve seen coaches make an impact for championship teams. Although players get the job done, coaches make sure they’re utilizing these players enough to win. Just recently, to give Damian Lillard some help to win a championship, the franchise hired Chauncey Billups as their new head coach.

For most coaches, it takes time for them to turn their squad into a championship team. But for some, they immediately get the job done. It’s still unknown whether Billups can do the same, but for this piece, let’s take a look at five coaching changes that immediately led to an NBA championship.

2014-15 Golden State Warriors — Steve Kerr

The Warriors were mostly a cellar dweller in the 2000s. It wasn't until 2012 when the franchise started to become relevant again. The Warriors’ rise can not only be credited to drafting the Splash Brothers, but also to Mark Jackson for developing the young core and establishing a defensive identity. While Jackson started it all, it was Steve Kerr who elevated the team into a championship dynasty.

It was in 2014 when Kerr was hired by the Warriors as the head coach after coaching the squad during the Summer League. Although this was his first time to work as a coach, Kerr was no stranger to the NBA world given that he had won five championships as a player and served as a GM for the Phoenix Suns.

In his first season as head coach, Kerr broke various coaching records. He became the first coach to start his stint with a 19-2 record. But more importantly, Kerr helped the Warriors finish with the best record (to that point) in franchise history with a 67-15 mark. It also allowed them to enter the postseason as the top seed in the Western Conference.

As we all know, Kerr would then take the Warriors to their first championship in four decades. Because of this, he became the first rookie head coach to stir a team to a title since 1982.

While the Splash Brothers are all-time great shooters, it was Kerr’s system that made them unstoppable. Kerr’s system is a hybrid form of the triangle system with a mix of Gregg Popovich’s spacing and pace. Because of this, it gave Curry and Thompson the green light to fire from anywhere on the court. Given their lethal shooting, they made opposing defenses pay.

2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers — Tyronn Lue

The Cavs immediately became a championship contender once again when LeBron James returned. While they fell short in the 2015 NBA Finals against the Warriors, the team continued its mastery over the East the next season. Despite owning the best record in the conference, the team suddenly fired David Blatt and promoted Tyronn Lue as head coach midway into the season.

While it was the first time for Lue to handle a head job, it sure did help to have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love at his disposal. Lue coached the Cavs to another dominant finish, helping the squad register a 57-25 win-loss card for the top seed in the East.

In the 2016 NBA Playoffs, with the Cavs’ dominance, Lue became the first head coach to win his first 10 playoff games. After that, Lue coached the Cavs out of a 3-1 deficit against the historic 73-9 Warriors squad in the NBA Finals to help his team pull off the greatest comeback in Finals history.

Just like Kerr, Lue became a rookie coach to win the NBA championship. He also became one of the few coaches to win a title after a midseason change.

2018-19 Toronto Raptors — Nick Nurse

The Raptors were solid contenders in the East for years. However, it wasn’t until Nick Nurse arrived to the scene before they finally won their first NBA title. After serving as an assistant to Dwane Casey, the Raptors promoted Nurse to head coach in 2018.

While Kawhi Leonard led the charge, Nurse’s system saw various players shine. His coaching reign was responsible for the breakouts of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, who went on to win Most Improved Player of the Year. The Raptors finished with a 58-24 record, good for the second-best record in franchise history.

Furthermore, Nurse’s defensive schemes helped them eliminate powerhouses. The Raptors beat a loaded Philadelphia 76ers team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, slowed down Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference Finals and then ended the Golden State Warriors' dynasty in the NBA Finals. Although Kevin and Klay Thompson went down with injuries, the Raptors’ innovative box-and-1 defense helped slow down Stephen Curry and win the title in six games.

In the process, Nurse became one of the rookie head coaches to win a championship. In addition to this, Nurse became the first head coach to win a championship both in the G League and in the NBA.

2005-06 Miami Heat — Pat Riley

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While Stan Van Gundy elevated the team into a contender in the East, it was Pat Riley who gave Miami its first title. Van Gundy was coming off a solid season that saw the Heat finish first in the East, while coaching the team to a Eastern Conference Finals appearance. However, with the Heat getting some more pieces, Riley took over the coaching reins after 21 games.

The Heat went on to finish with a 52-30 record. With Dwyane Wade and Shaq at his disposal, Riley coached the team to its first championship banner. Despite dropping the first two games against the Mavs, the Heat rallied by winning their next four games. As a result, Riley won his first NBA championship outside of Los Angeles and his fifth championship as a coach.

2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers — Frank Vogel

The Lakers’ rebuilding process wasn’t pretty. Although their young pieces were oozing with potential, the squad simply couldn’t get to another level even with the arrival of LeBron James in 2018. Because of this, the Lakers shifted away from rebuilding mode.

With this, the Lakers revamped their roster, headlined by the acquisition of Anthony Davis. Furthermore, the team also moved on from Luke Walton and hired Frank Vogel as their head coach.

Parading a new All-Star duo and a coach, the Lakers steamrolled the Western Conference. However, their efforts were threatened when COVID infections broke out, which led to the season's postponement. Fortunately, the NBA was able to mount a bubble in Orlando to resume its games.

The Lakers continued their dominance in the bubble under Vogel’s watch. Vogel’s defensive system turned the Lakers into a nightmare for opposing teams. This often led to easy baskets in transition, a perfect situation for LBJ to dominate. Because of this, the squad finished the season with a 52-19 record, good for the top seed in the West.

Vogel’s squad continued to wreck havoc in the postseason. The Lakers got past various contenders and eliminated the Heat in the NBA Finals. For a team that didn’t make the playoffs in the previous year, winning a championship in 2020 was a complete turnaround. Although a lot of credit was given to the leadership of LBJ and AD, Vogel also deserves some praise for the Lakers’ historic 17th banner.