The Boston Celtics named Joe Mazzulla their permanent head coach, the team announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Mazzulla had been serving as interim head coach since Boston suspended Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season in September.
- Udoka’s suspension was a result of an intimate relationship with a female member of the organization, The Athletic reported.
- Mazzulla has led Boston to a first-place 42-17 record in the Eastern Conference this season. He agreed to a contract extension with the Celtics along with the promotion; terms of the extension were not disclosed.
- The 34-year-old is the 19th head coach in franchise history.
Backstory
Mazzulla stepped into the role this past fall after serving as an assistant coach for the Celtics since 2019. He was the only full-time assistant coach on Brad Stevens’ staff who remained during Udoka’s tenure, having also coached Boston’s NBA Summer League team in 2021. He was hired by Boston after serving as the coach at Fairmont State, a Division II school in West Virginia.
Mazzulla’s interim appointment came on the heels of Udoka’s suspension which the franchise said was due to violations of team policies. At the time, Boston said, “a decision about (Udoka’s) future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at…
