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Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzella called the coach of the year award “stupid.”
Now, he has conquered it.
“I don’t need it. I think it’s a stupid award,” Mazzula said back in March after being asked if he could win it because of the Celtics’ regular season success without their stars, including Jayson Tatum, for most of the year.
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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzella watches during the second half of Game Five in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on April 28, 2026. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The winner of the award was announced Tuesday night, as Mazzella helped lead the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record, finishing four games behind the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
But Mazzula wouldn’t just call the award silly for its own sake — he believed it should be a “coaching team of the year” honor rather than an individual getting the hardware.
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Mazzula, discussing the honor Tuesday night, told NBC as much.
The long nights, the travel, the game plans, the guys filming and coding, the assistants putting in the game plan, I think there’s a lot that goes into winning one game,” explained Mazzula. “It starts with the players, but it goes to our staff. I’m sad they’re gone – but I’m forever indebted to the guys we have who sacrifice time with their families and their time to give us a chance to win every day.”
Mazzulla is the fourth Celtics coach to win this award, named after the legendary Red Auerbach, who won it in 1965. Tom Heinsohn (1973) and Bill Fitch (1980) also received the Red Auerbach Trophy in their careers.
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzella calls the players during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks in Boston on June 6, 2024. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Auerbach helped lead the Celtics to nine NBA titles, including eight in a row from 1959-66, during his Hall of Fame career.
Mazzulla was able to take that glory in 2024, as the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1, to get another Larry O’Brien trophy for Boston’s outfit.
Unfortunately, Celtic could not get far in the playoffs even though their stars were fit at the end of the season. They were surprisingly blown out in the first round after a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
But Mazzulla, 37, is still the youngest coach to receive the Coach of the Year award since Phil Jackson won it in 1975, in the NBA.
While Mazzella wanted to target his staff, Celtics president of basketball, Brad Stevens, praised his fourth-year head coach.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzella watches during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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“This is an honor and a testament to both Joe and his staff,” Stevens said. “From what we know going into this season, Joe has done a great job building and growing the team. He pours everything he has into competing at the highest level, while helping the players find the best versions of themselves within the framework of the team.”
Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff finished second, the same spot he found himself in after last season, while San Antonio Spurs manager Mitch Johnson finished third.
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