The Boston Celtics are the winningest franchise in NBA history with 18 championships under their belt. However, they are attempting to do something they haven’t done in decades and that is win back-to-back titles. The last time they won consecutive championships was in the 1968 and 1969 seasons.
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This specific Boston team is different compared to championship teams of the past. There have been historic coaches that have graced the TD Garden. However, head coach Joe Mazzulla and his coaching staff are some of the most qualified basketball minds throughout the NBA. They have the players to make it happen and their coaching staff aims to help get them there.
Joe Mazzulla – Head coach
Joe Mazzulla is entering his third season as the head coach of the Celtics. At one point in time, Mazzulla was merely an interim head coach following the firing of Ime Udoka in 2022. However, he has evolved into the perfect head coach for the franchise.
His trademarked ‘Mazzulla-ball’ dominated the opposition during the 2023-24 season. His heavy emphasis on three-point shots and tenacious defense led the Celtics to a league-best 64-18 record. He along with his coaching staff strive for the same success they experienced last season.
Sam Cassell – Lead assistant coach
Sam Cassell thrived during his playing career earning an All-Star appearance but has transferred his basketball knowledge to the world of coaching. He’s gearing up for his second season as the lead assistant coach of the Celtics.
He’s never served as an NBA head coach but has been a member of three different organization’s coaching staffs. From 2009-2014, Cassell was an assistant coach for the Wizards. Five-time All-Star John Wall gives credit to Cassell for his development as a player. Cassell also coached with the Clippers and Sixers before joining the Celtics.
Tony Dobbins – Assistant coach
Tony Dobbins’s NBA coaching experience has exclusively come from the Celtics organization. He joined the franchise in the 2019-20 season as a video coordinator under Brad Stevens. The following season he received a promotion to an assistant coach and has been a mainstay since.
DJ MacLeay – Assistant coach
DJ MacLeay’s tenure with the Celtics began ahead of the 2021-22 season as a player enhancement coach. He received a promotion to assistant coach the following season. Mazzulla retained MacLeay on his coaching staff and the decision proved beneficial.
The assistant coach worked extensively with Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis during Boston’s championship season. His ability to help develop players is a skill that the Celtics greatly utilize.
Amile Jefferson – Assistant coach
Amile Jefferson shared ties to the Celtics before joining the franchise as an assistant coach. Jefferson and Celtics superstar, Jayson Tatum, were teammates in college at Duke University.
Following Jefferson’s professional career, in 2021, he returned to his alma mater as a member of Duke’s coaching staff. In the 2023-24 season, Jefferson served his first season as an NBA assistant coach under Mazzulla.
Matt Reynolds – Assistant coach
Matt Reynolds has been within the Celtics coaching tree since the 2015-16 season. He’s experienced the coaching tenure of Brad Stevens, Ime Udoka and Joe Mazzulla. He worked his way from video coordinator to assistant coach in the 2022-23 season.
Reynolds is in charge of deciding whether the Celtics should use a coach’s challenge to dispute a call made by the officials.
Ross McMains – Assistant coach
Ross McMains is entering his first season as an assistant coach with the Celtics ahead of the 2024-25 NBA campaign. Last season, he served as a member of their player development staff.
Before joining the Celtics coaching staff, McMains served as the associate head coach of Boston’s G-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
Tyler Lashbrook – Maine Celtics head coach / Celtics assistant coach
In September of 2024, Tyler Lashbrook was named the new head coach of the Maine Red Claws. The new position adds to Lashbrook’s existing duties as an assistant coach with the Celtics.
During the 2023-24 season, Lashbrook specialized in Boston’s preparation in late-game situations. His stellar work in developing younger players played a big part in earning the head coaching position of the Red Claws.
Craig Luschenat – Director of Player Development / Celtics assistant coach
Craig Luschenat’s rise within the Celtics coaching tree is an inspiring story. He originally joined the Maine Red Claws as an intern in 2015. Three years later he became an assistant coach, specializing in player development. His hard work and skills earned him a position with the Celtics.
The Boston native was promoted to the director of player development ahead of the 2024-25 season. His stellar work with developing the players’ skills has been paramount for Boston.
Player enhancement coaches
There are six player enhancement coaches on the Celtics ahead of the 2024-25 season. The members include Phil Pressey, Alex Merg, Nana Foulland, Da’Sean Butler, God Shammgod Jr., and Steve Tchiengang.
Phil Pressey once played for the Celtics for two seasons spanning 2013-2015. In June of 2024, the franchise hired legendary Mavericks coach, God Shammgod’s son. The transaction came less than a month after the Celtics defeated Shammgod and the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
