Celtics Name Joe Mazzulla Head Coach, Remove Interim Tag

This is his first NBA head coaching job and he has the Celtics atop the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics announced Thursday that Joe Mazzulla is officially the 19th head coach in the franchise’s history and he has received a contract extension. The details of the deal are unknown at this time. 

Mazzulla was named interim coach after Boston suspended former coach Ime Udoka for the 2022–23 season for “violations of team policies” after a report about his alleged involvement in an “improper” relationship with a female member of Boston’s staff.

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Under Udoka, the Celtics made it to the Finals last year but came up just short of an NBA title, losing to the Warriors in six games. Despite the short notice and circumstances that led to his new title, Mazzulla has seamlessly brought Boston back to the top of the Eastern Conference. 

As of now, the Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 42–17 and Mazzulla is also set to coach Team Giannis in this weekend’s All-Star Game. This is Mazzulla’s first head coaching position and he will try to join Nick Nurse, Tyronn Lue, Steve Kerr, Pat Riley and Paul Westhead as the only rookie coaches in NBA history to win an NBA title.