Rhode Island native Joe Mazzulla named NBA Coach of the Year

BOSTON, M.A. — Joe Mazzulla has been named NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Boston Celtics through another successful regular season.

Boston finished the season with a 56-26 record under Mazzulla and earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics later reached the playoffs before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in a seven-game first-round series.

Mazzulla earned the award over finalists J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs. The honor recognizes the coach considered to have made the biggest impact on regular-season success.

During his time leading Boston, Mazzulla has helped keep the Celtics among the NBA’s top teams. His coaching style has focused on ball movement, strong defense and three-point shooting. As a result, the Celtics have continued to remain among the league’s most consistent contenders.

The latest award adds another milestone to Mazzulla’s growing résumé. In 2024, he became the youngest coach in the modern era to win an NBA championship after guiding Boston to a title at age 35. Now 37, he is also the youngest Coach of the Year winner since Phil Johnson earned the award in 1975.

Mazzulla will also receive the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named after the legendary Celtics coach. He now becomes only the fourth Boston coach to earn the award. Red Auerbach won it in 1965, Tom Heinsohn followed in 1973 and Bill Fitch earned the honor in 1980.

Meanwhile, Boston continued to show confidence in Mazzulla’s future by signing him to a multi-year contract extension in August 2025. The deal came after the organization’s continued success under his leadership.

Mazzulla, a Rhode Island native and former Bishop Hendricken standout, continues building his coaching legacy while leading one of the NBA’s most historic franchises.