Celtics remove interim tag, name Joe Mazzulla head coach following offseason suspension of Ime Udoka
The Celtics enter the All-Star break at 42-17
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Boston Celtics have officially named Joe Mazzulla the organization’s 19th head coach after removing the interim tag from his title.
The news came Thursday morning following Boston’s 127-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and head coach Joe Mazzulla during the Golden State Warriors game on Jan. 19, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The win moved the Celtics to 42-17 on the season – the best record in the league – as they enter the NBA’s All-Star break.
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Mazzulla, the youngest head coach in the NBA at 34 years old, will coach Team Giannis in Salt Lake City at the 2023 All-Star Game.
"As he has shown, Joe is a very talented coach and leader," said Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, according to CBS Boston. "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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joe Mazzulla, the youngest head coach in the NBA at 34 years old, will coach Team Giannis in Salt Lake City at the 2023 All-Star Game. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mazzulla also received a contract extension from the organization, according to ESPN.
Mazzulla was named the interim head coach in September after second-year head coach Ime Udoka was suspended by the Celtics for the entire 2022-2023 NBA season for "violations of team policies."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Udoka reportedly had a consensual relationship with a female staffer within the Celtics organization.
Head coach Ime Udoka of the Celtics looks on during the NBA Finals on June 8, 2022, in Boston. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
"The Boston Celtics announced today that the team has suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies. A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date. The suspension takes effect immediately," the team said in a statement.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His future with the organization now seems clear as Mazzulla officially takes over.
The Celtics are looking to get back to the NBA Finals after losing the championship to the Golden State Warriors in six games in June.