“Kerr wasn’t asked to make an awful team decent. He was hired to make a pretty good team great.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-kerrs-peculiar-playbook-1431456522

Finishing second is like finishing last. In 2012, the Warriors won 23 games. In 2014, they won 51 games under a really good coach Mark Jackson. Somehow, he got replaced.

In 2015, Rookie coach Steve Kerr led the Warriors to a franchise record 67 wins. Coaching matters but finding a talent like Steve Kerr would be impossible if age is the key filter. Kerr is 49 years old and just discovered his gift as a basketball coach. A lifetime of playing experience can translate into a a good promotion.