The Boston Celtics have a new permanent head coach. The team announced Thursday Rhode Island native Joe Mazzulla will take over the top job full time. Mazzulla will replace Ime Udoka and has already received a contract extension.
INTERIM HEAD COACH
Mazzulla was named the Celtics interim head coach in September 2022. The team suspended previous head coach Ime Udoka for violating team policy. It was a shocking move coming months after Udoka led the Celtics to an Eastern Conference Championship before coming up short in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Under Mazzulla the team has continued to thrive. Boston is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference, one game up on the Milwaukee Bucks headed into the All-Star break.
MAZZULLA’S RAPID RISE
Thursday’s announcement is the latest in a rapid rise through the Celtics organization for Mazzulla. He got his start in coaching as an assistant at Division II Fairmount State in West Virginia back in 2013. In 2016, he joined the Celtics as an assistant coach for the team’s G League affiliate. In 2017, Mazzulla returned to Fairmount State as head coach for two seasons before rejoining the Celtics as an assistant to then-Coach Brad Stevens in 2019. Mazzulla was one of the holdovers from Stevens staff to join Udoka’s staff when he got the top job in 2021.
Joe Mazzulla will also coach Team Giannis at the NBA All Star Game on Sunday.
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