The Celtics sideline will look quite different this year as head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies.
In the interim, Celtics president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens has appointed Joe Mazzulla as head coach for the 2022-23 campaign, with more decisions to come at a later date.
Mazzulla, who made a name for himself during his playing career at West Virginia University, has quickly risen up the coaching ranks over the past 11 years and brings a high level of familiarity with the Celtics' system and its roster. At 34, Mazzulla is one of the NBA's two youngest head coaches (Jazz head coach Will Hardy was also born in 1988 but his birthdate is unknown).
Who is Joe Mazzulla? Learn more about the man that has been tabbed to lead the Celtics in their pursuit of Banner No. 18.
MORE: Ime Udoka suspension, explained: What we know about Celtics coach's status
Who is Joe Mazzulla?
Playing career
A native of Johnston, R.I., Mazzulla, a 6-foot-2 point guard, began his college career under coach John Beilein at West Virginia in 2006.
After his freshman year, Mazzulla played under Hall of Famer Bob Huggins for the remainder of his college career at West Virginia, which was three seasons spanning four years as he redshirted the 2008-09 season due to a shoulder injury.
Mazzulla averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 assists as he appeared in 145 games (25 starts) at West Virginia. Among career highlights were a postseason NIT championship in 2007 and a trip to the 2010 Final Four.
After graduating in 2011, Mazzulla moved on to the next phase of his career in basketball.
Coaching beginnings
Mazzulla's coaching career began at Division II Glenville State in Glenville, W.V. Mazzulla served as an assistant at Glenville State from 2011 to 2013 before moving on to an assistant coaching job at Division II powerhouse Fairmont State, located in Fairmont, W.V.
Mazzulla spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Fairmont State, a span that saw the Fighting Falcons make NCAA tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016. Following the 2015-16 season, Mazzulla moved on to pursue a professional opportunity as he was hired as an assistant coach for the Maine Red Claws (now Maine Celtics), the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics.
In Maine, Mazzulla worked with a number of players that have garnered NBA experience, most notably Abdel Nader and Damion Lee, who have each racked up multiple years of NBA experience.
Following one season in Maine, Mazzulla returned to Fairmont State, accepting the first head coaching job of his career.
Head coaching history
During his first season as a head coach, Mazzulla led Fairmont State to a 21-8 record, including a 17-5 mark in conference play. Despite their impressive resume, a loss in the first round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament ultimately kept Fairmont State out of the Division II National Tournament.
The next season saw Mazzulla lead Fairmont State to a 22-9 record, with an 18-4 record coming in conference play. Fairmont State advanced to the 2018 National Tournament, where it would suffer a two-point loss in the opening round.
Following the 2018-19 college season, Mazzulla accepted his first NBA job, joining Stevens' staff with the Celtics.
Boston Celtics
Mazzulla's first season in Boston was during the COVID-impacted 2019-20 campaign. Boston finished with a 48-24 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals at the NBA "bubble" at Walt Disney World.
Following the truncated 2020-21 season that saw the Celtics eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Stevens stepped down from his post as head coach, appointing Udoka as his successor. Despite the coaching changes, Mazzulla was retained on Boston's coaching staff and served as the team's head coach during the 2021 Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Celtics' first season under Udoka was undoubtedly a success, as the franchise returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. During the series, Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum spoke highly of Mazzulla and his impact as an assistant coach.
You can tell how passionate he is about the guys and his craft. He's gotten so much more knowledgeable and more detailed and just more vocal and more comfortable in his role as a coach … He's helped me out tremendously as a player and as a person, I can't say enough good things about Joe and everybody appreciates what he brings to this team.
Why is Joe Mazzulla the Celtics' interim head coach?
As evidenced by Tatum's glowing words, there is an overwhelming belief that Mazzulla has developed a great relationship with the Celtics locker room during his first three seasons as a head coach. During the 2021 offseason, it was reported that Celtics players pushed to ensure that Mazzulla remained on the coaching staff amid the changes.
Stevens confirmed that Mazzulla would be the franchise's interim head coach during a press conference on Sept. 23, calling his former assistant "an exceptionally sharp and talented person," adding that "I believe strongly in him in his ability to lead people — his ability to galvanize the room."
Simply put, Mazzulla's voice resonates well with the players and his presence provides continuity that dates back to the 2019-20 season.
MORE: How Celtics addressed Ime Udoka's suspension at press conference
Will Brad Stevens take over as Celtics head coach?
While Stevens enjoyed a successful eight seasons at the helm in Boston, he has maintained that his days on the sidelines are done. When asked about a return to coaching and his role with respect to Mazzulla, Stevens said "I told Joe I'm going to be there for him without stepping on any toes."
Brad Stevens says he will absolutely not take over as coach in any situation here. Wyc jokes they briefly talked about it, but Stevens is insistent he does not want to go back to coaching.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 23, 2022
"I told Joe I'm going to be there for him without stepping on any toes."
Celtics coaching staff
With Mazzulla serving as the interim lead man, the Celtics have a staff of five assistant coaches which includes 13-year NBA veteran Damon Stoudamire as well as Anthony Dobbins, DJ MacLeay, Aaron Miles and Ben Sullivan.
