Joe Mazzulla is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Boston Celtics as of December 2024. Born on June 30, 1988, Mazzulla is the son of basketball head coach Dan Mazzulla. Mazzulla’s father also played college basketball at Bryant University and was inducted into the Bryant Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
As a high schooler, Mazzulla attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island, making the all-state first team in his tenure there. He led his high school to three state championships. After this, Mazzulla committed to playing college basketball for West Virginia. As a freshman, Mazzulla demonstrated incredible poise and skill, leading his team to win the 2007 National Invitation Tournament. In the 2008 NCAA tournament, Mazzulla led West Virginia to a second-round upset victory over Duke. Mazzula suffered a shoulder injury in his sophomore season as his growth plate never fused with his shoulder. After meticulous rehab and workout, Mazzulla returned next season to red-shirt his sophomore year.
What teams has Joe Mazzulla coached?
After graduating from college, Mazzulla was offered a coaching job at Nova Southwestern but turned it down to play professionally. Noticing a lack of opportunities, Mazzulla joined Glenville State as an assistant in 2011. In 2013, he was hired as an assistant at Fairmont State. During the 2016-17 season, Mazzulla was an assistant coach for the Maine Redclaws of the NBA G league. In March of 2017, Mazzulla returned to Fairmont State, but this time, as a head coach. In his first head coaching stint, he led his team to a 22-9 record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the first round.
In 2019, Mazzulla was named as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics where he served this position for 3 years. In 2022, after the abrupt firing of Celtics’ then-head coach Ime Udoka, Mazzulla was named as the team’s interim head coach. Mazzulla took full use of this opportunity and excelled. He was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for leading the Celtics to an NBA-best 18-4 record. On February 16, 2023, Mazzulla was signed as the full-time head coach of the Boston Celtics. Mazzulla was one of the three finalists for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award. The Celtics finished with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. They, however, couldn’t reach the promised land as they were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The following season, Mazzulla led the Celtics to a 64-18 regular season record and the top seed in the league. After sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals. The Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals and beat them in five games. Mazzulla led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship since 2008. By winning the championship, Mazzulla became the youngest head coach to win the NBA championship in over 50 years.
FAQs on Joe Mazzulla
A. Joe Mazzulla is 36 years old as of December 2024.
A. Joe Mazzulla is currently the head coach of the Boston Celtics.
A. No, Joe Mazzulla was signed as the full-time head coach by the Boston Celtics on February 16, 2023.
A. Joe Mazzulla has been a head coach for only one season so far.
A. Joe Mazzulla is 6 feet and 2 inches tall.
