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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla once called the NBA’s Coach of the Year award “stupid.” On Tuesday night, he became the organization’s first recipient in 46 years.
“Don’t need it,” Mazzulla told reporters in March. “I think it’s a stupid award. They shouldn’t have it. And it’s more about the players. It’s more about the work that the staff puts in. It’s just that simple. I really don’t ever want to be asked or talk about it again. It’s just that dumb. So, the players play. It’s about them. The staff works their ass off. I’m grateful to have them.”
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Mazzulla beat out J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs, becoming Boston’s first COTY winner since Bill Fitch (1979-80), and just the fourth in Celtics history. At 37 years old, Mazzulla became the youngest coach to win since Phil Johnson 51 years ago, earning 62 first-place votes to Bickerstaff’s 29 votes.
Following a complete roster overhaul that saw the Celtics move on from core pieces Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford, plus the absence of Jayson Tatum for the first 62 games of the season, Mazzulla got to work. With a slew of unproven newcomers, the fourth-year head coach reshaped the team’s identity to better suit the pieces available and keep the Celtics competitive enough to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston went 56-26 and established a two-way playstyle that gave some of the league’s best issues throughout the year.
INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 3: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 3, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On March 25, the Celtics defeated the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and finished with the second-best home record…
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Publish date : 2026-05-27 00:37:00
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