Celtics Officially Announce Hiring Of Ime Udoka As Franchise's 18th Head Coach
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's official: Ime Udoka is the next head coach of the Boston Celtics.
News of Udoka's hiring broke last week, but the hiring wasn't made official until Monday morning. Udoka is now the 18th head coach for the storied franchise, following a seven-year playing career and nine years as an assistant coach.
Udoka spent most of his coaching days in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich, winning a championship on the Spurs bench in 2014. The 43-year-old recently coached Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the summer of 2019 when they were all members of Team USA.
"It's an honor to be a part of the historic Celtics franchise. Coaching this talented roster and working alongside Brad makes it an ideal situation," said Udoka. "I'd like to thank Wyc [Grousbeck], Steve [Pagliuca], and Brad [Stevens] for entrusting me with this opportunity. I look forward to getting started right away."
"I would like to welcome Ime, Nia, Kez, and Massai to the Boston Celtics. Among the many outstanding qualities that Ime brings to the table are his character, humility, and competitiveness. He has a relentless work ethic and a vast array of experiences as a player and coach," said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. "He's a leader that is warm and demanding, and we are so excited that he has chosen to join us in pursuit of Banner 18."
The team will introduce Udoka at a press conference Monday at 10:15 a.m.