Joe Mazzulla has been confirmed as the 19th Boston Celtics head coach in franchise history, removing the interim tag and giving the 34-year-old a permanent title.
Mazzulla was named interim head coach following the suspension of Ime Udoka in October and has led the Celtics to the best record in the NBA (42-17) at the All-Star break.
After attending West Virginia University and going undrafted in 2011, Mazzulla began his coaching career as an assistant at Glenville State from 2011 to 2013.
Mazzulla then went on to work as an assistant with Boston’s NBA G League affiliate Maine Celtics before taking the head coaching job at Fairmont State and then landing an assistant position with Brad Stevens in 2019.
Terms of Mazzulla’s new deal have not yet been released, but the Celtics confirmed that he also received a contract extension in a statement from Stevens on Thursday.
“As he has shown, Joe is a very talented coach and leader,” said Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations.
“He has a unique ability to galvanize a room around a mission. We are grateful for the work she has put in to help us get to this point, and excited that he has agreed to guide us into the future.”
Joe Mazzulla is officially the 19th head coach in franchise history ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/LMcTLS1u0m
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 16, 2023
Joe Mazzulla leads Celtics to best NBA record at All-Star break
The 34-year-old will take over Team Giannis during the All-Star Game, joining Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Salt Lake City, Utah over the weekend.
According to NBA betting sites, the Celtics are +325 favorites to win an 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy in June, ahead of the Phoenix Suns (+400), Milwaukee Bucks (+400) and Denver Nuggets (+400). 750).
Mazzulla inherited a highly talented and competitive roster from Ime Udoka who led the Golden State Warriors to six games in the NBA Finals last year before falling at the final hurdle.
As it is, Boston has the best odds of winning a ring this year and boasts arguably the deepest roster in the NBA: Malcolm Brogdon leads the Sixth Man of the Year race with 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. .
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