Three Celtics assistant coaches reportedly leaving to join Ime Udoka in Houston
BOSTON -- Joe Mazzulla is reportedly keeping his job with the Celtics, and the team wants to build a better coaching staff around him. The Celtics will have a lot of work to do this offseason to accomplish that goal.
Mazzulla wasn't just thrust into the head coaching job of the Celtics following Ime Udoka's suspension last September, he also had to navigate his first season as an NBA head coach with a depleted staff. That staff is getting even smaller, with three assistants reportedly leaving Boston to join Udoka's new staff in Houston.
Ben Sullivan, Aaron Miles, and Mike Moser are all ditching the C's to rejoin Udoka, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
The Boston coaching staff was already down Will Hardy at the start of last season, after Udoka's top assistant was named head coach of the Utah Jazz during the offseason. Mazzulla then lost Damon Stoudamire during the season, and the Celtics inexcusably didn't fill either vacancy to help their rookie head coach.
While Mazzulla and the Celtics won 57 games during the regular season, he was outcoached throughout the playoffs. The Celtics -- who spent much of the season as title favorites -- ended up losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games.
Udoka led the C's to the NBA Finals in his only season on the bench. Only two coaches from that staff -- Mazzulla and Tony Dobbins -- remain in Boston.
So Brad Stevens has a lot of work to do to build a staff around Mazzulla this summer. The good news is there are a number of former head coaches and assistants out there, and Boston remains an enticing destination with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the franchise.
