BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens has said throughout the offseason that his team wanted Joe Mazzulla to be its coach for a long time.
It made that more than a proclamation Friday, announcing it has signed Mazzulla to a multi-year contract extension. Length and details of the new deal were not released.
In a statement, Mazzulla called his new pact with the team “a blessing.”
“I would not be here without my faith, my wife, and my children,” Mazzulla said. “We are thankful for the partnership with our ownership groups, Brad’s mentorship, and the support of our staff. Most importantly, I am grateful for the players I have been able to coach the past three seasons. I look forward to competing for the Celtics and the city of Boston.”
Mazzulla, 37, is coming off his third season as Boston’s coach and has guided the team to the playoffs each season, including the franchise’s 18th NBA title to cap the 2023-24 season. He was the youngest head coach to win the NBA Finals since the 1968-69 season, when 35-year-old Bill Russell led the Celtics to the championship as a player-coach.
Under Mazzulla, the Celtics have won at least 57 games each of those seasons and topped 60 victories in each of the last two.
Though Stevens has never publicly discussed the details of Mazzulla’s contract, the coach was initially given an extension shortly after having the interim tag lifted in February 2023. Stevens confirmed in June that Mazzulla had received at least one additional extension prior to his latest one.
“He understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans,” Stevens said in a statement. “He’s worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach — including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship. Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.”
Mazzulla originally joined the Celtics in 2019 and spent the next three seasons as an assistant before being interim head coach after former boss Ime Udoka was suspended by the team prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.
Story by Kyle Hightower, Associated Press
