Which Boston Celtics coach has won the most championships?
It’s one of the most famous teams in the history of the National Basketball Association and has had plenty of success over the years.
The Boston Celtics are known throughout the world. With memories of the likes of Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale, to name just a few, it is the NBA’s most successful franchise, winning 17 titles along the way.
So which coaches have brought them the most success?
On this day in 1966… Red Auerbach won his 9th and final title as Head Coach of the @celtics. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/UJHunaEWug
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 28, 2022
Most successful Celtics coaches
In first place there is no doubt, it’s Red Auerbach, the second most successful NBA coach of all time with nine wins from 11 championship finals. Only Phil Jackson, with 11 from 13, has more.
Auerbach was in charge of the Celtics from 1950-66 and was able to call upon a selection of top calibre players.
Red Auerbach called this “the greatest play I’ve ever seen.”
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) April 11, 2022
pic.twitter.com/GC49pdRdy0
As the NBA archives remember, ‘Auerbach carefully crafted a competitive team, and his moves culminated with an April 29, 1956 transaction that sent Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan to St. Louis for the Hawks’ first-round pick; with that selection, the Celtics chose Bill Russell. This blockbuster trade would spur the Celtics into the most dominant franchise in pro basketball history and helped spawn the legend that is Auerbach and the Celtics. From 1950-1966, Auerbach coached the Celtics to nine world titles, including eight in succession from 1959-1966. His incredible record was 938-479 (.662) in regular-season play and an equally impressive 99-69 (.589) in post-season encounters.’
Auerbach was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the NBA Coach of the Year award is named in his honour.
Luka Doncic is the 2nd youngest player in NBA postseason history with 35 points & 10 rebounds in a game 7 (Tom Heinsohn - 22 years, 230 days). pic.twitter.com/1bDIi3KP06
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 16, 2022
In second place on the Boston list is Tom Heinsohn, who was coach from 1969-78. In that time he watched his teams play a total 690 games, and picked up his first NBA Finals win in 1974 and then followed that up with a second in 1976. Two wins from two finals, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame, not only as coach but also as a player.
“If you take a job and they pay you five dollars a day, give them seven dollars a day worth of work!” - Bill Russell pic.twitter.com/SLnKSKA2vg
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) May 20, 2022
Immediately prior to Heinsohn, and taking over from Auerbach, was Bill Russell - that special trade by Auerbach - and he comes in third for Celtics top coaches. His tenure, 1966-69, had him overseeing 245 games and led the team to two NBA Finals. That’s in just three seasons.