The Celtics own the best record in the NBA under Joe Mazzulla. But their strong start hasn't propelled them to remove the interim tag from their first-year head coach.
Boston intends to keep the interim tag on Mazzulla all season long, according to the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. "Mazzulla is well aware of the situation and understands that he'll be coaching this entire year regardless," writes Himmelsbach.
The Celtics named Mazzulla their interim coach immediately after they issued a yearlong suspension to Ime Udoka for an inappropriate romantic relationship with a subordinate female employee. Udoka's suspension is slated to end June 30.
Himmelsbach adds the Celtics may have "given Mazzulla some sense of their future intentions, but unless Udoka takes another job elsewhere, don't expect anything to be finalized until the summer."
At 34 years old, Mazzulla is the youngest head coach in the NBA. The former West Virginia guard joined Boston's staff as an assistant in 2019 after coaching Division 2 Fairmont State.
Mazzulla is so well-regarded within the Celtics' organization, Danny Ainge tried to poach him last offseason to coach the Jazz. Ainge wound up hiring another Celtics assistant, Will Hardy, for the role.
Ainge told Himmelsbach that Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck granted him permission to interview both Mazzulla and Hardy, with the prerequisite that he could only hire one. The Jazz, who were expected to enter a rebuilding year, are in possession of the West's 9th-seed.
So far, everything has worked out for all parties involved. We'll see if that's still the case at the end of the season.
