Celtics make Mazzulla permanent head coach

Joe Mazzulla has been appointed as permanent head coach by the Boston Celtics. He becomes the 19th full-time head coach in the franchise’s history - he has also agreed an extension to his contract, though the details of that arrangement were not confirmed.

The 34-year-old took over the Celtics coaching post on an interim basis at the end of September last year, after Ime Udoka was suspended for improper conduct and violating team policies. Mazzulla has had an impressive impact on last season’s NBA Finals runners-up, leading them to a league-leading record of 42-17. The announcement from the Celtics came on Thursday following Wednesday’s 127-109 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Mazzulla was hired by the Celtics in June 2019 as an assistant coach following two years in his first head coach role with division two college Fairmont State. He spent two of his first three seasons on the Celtics bench under former head coach and current president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, before retaining his role when Stevens was promoted and Udoka was brought in as the new head coach.

Following the announcement, Stevens said, “As he has shown, Joe is a very talented coach and leader. He has a unique ability to galvanize a room around a mission. We are thankful for the work he has done to help get us to this point, and excited that he has agreed to lead us into the future.”