Joe Mazzulla facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Mazzulla with the Boston Celtics in 2024
|
|
| Boston Celtics | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 30, 1988 Johnston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| High school | Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, Rhode Island) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | West Virginia (2006–2011) |
| NBA Draft | 2011 / Undrafted |
| Coaching career | 2011–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 2011–2013 | Glenville State (assistant) |
| 2013–2016 | Fairmont State (assistant) |
| 2016–2017 | Maine Red Claws (assistant) |
| 2017–2019 | Fairmont State |
| 2019–2022 | Boston Celtics (assistant) |
| 2022–present | Boston Celtics |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Joseph Art Mazzulla (born June 30, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before becoming a coach, he played college basketball as a point guard for West Virginia University.
After college, Mazzulla decided to become a coach. He started as an assistant coach at colleges like Glenville State and Fairmont State. Later, he coached for the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G League. In 2017, he became the head coach at Fairmont State. In 2019, he joined the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach.
Before the 2022–23 season, Mazzulla became the interim head coach for the Celtics due to a change in coaching staff. In February 2023, he was officially named the head coach. In his second season, Mazzulla led the Celtics to an amazing 64 wins, the best in the league. He also guided them to an NBA championship. He is one of the youngest coaches to win the NBA Finals in history.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Joseph Mazzulla was born on June 30, 1988, in Johnston, Rhode Island. His father, Dan Mazzulla, was Italian American, and his mother, Latersa Mazzulla, was African American.
He went to Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island. There, he was a star point guard and was named to the all-state first team. Mazzulla helped his high school team win three state championships. In his senior year, he won a championship with a shot made at the very last second.
College Basketball Career
Mazzulla played college basketball for West Virginia University. As a freshman, he helped his team win the 2007 National Invitation Tournament.
In the 2008 NCAA tournament, Mazzulla played a great game against Duke. He scored 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and made eight assists. He had to take a year off during the 2008–09 season because of a shoulder injury. He worked hard to recover and return to playing.
Mazzulla faced some challenges during his college years. A famous basketball player, Jerry West, even called him to encourage him to stay focused. Mazzulla says this call helped him get back on track.
As a junior, Mazzulla became a team captain. He helped West Virginia reach the 2010 Final Four, which is the semi-final round of the NCAA tournament. They lost to Duke in that game. Before that, he scored a career-high 17 points in a big win against Kentucky.
By the end of his college career, Mazzulla had scored 700 points and made 340 assists.
Coaching Journey
Starting in College Coaching
After college, Mazzulla decided to become a coach. In September 2011, he joined Glenville State as an assistant coach.
In 2013, he moved to Fairmont State as an assistant coach. For the 2016–17 season, Mazzulla worked as an assistant coach for the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G League.
In March 2017, Mazzulla became the head coach of Fairmont State. In his second season there, his team had a 22–9 record. They even made it to the 2019 NCAA Division II tournament.
Joining the Boston Celtics
Assistant Coach Role
On June 24, 2019, Mazzulla was hired as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics. He worked with the team for several seasons, helping them prepare for games.
Becoming Head Coach
First Season (2022–23)
On September 22, 2022, Mazzulla was named the interim head coach for the Celtics. This happened just before the 2022–23 season began. The team started the season very well, with 18 wins and only 4 losses. Because of this great start, Mazzulla was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October and November.
On January 30, 2023, he was chosen to be a head coach for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. On February 16, 2023, the Celtics officially made Mazzulla their permanent head coach. They also gave him a new contract. The Celtics finished the regular season with a 57–25 record, earning the #2 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
In the playoffs, they beat the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even though they lost, the Celtics made history by forcing a Game 7 after being down 3–0 in the series.
Winning the NBA Championship (2023–24)
Mazzulla continued as head coach for the 2023–24 season. The Celtics had an amazing season, finishing with a league-best 64–18 record. This was their first time winning over 60 games since 2009. They earned the top spot in the NBA, giving them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. They then swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. At 35 years old, Mazzulla became the youngest head coach to reach the NBA Finals since Bill Russell in 1969. The Celtics went on to beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals. This gave Mazzulla his first NBA championship! He also became the youngest head coach to win the NBA Finals in over 50 years.
Current Season (2024–25)
Mazzulla was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in March. The Celtics finished the month with a great 14–1 record. They ended the season with a 61–21 record, winning their 26th Atlantic Division title. They were the #2 seed in the East for the playoffs. The Celtics beat the Orlando Magic in the first round but lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Personal Life
Joe Mazzulla is married to Camai Roberson. They met in 2011 and got married in 2014. They have a son named Emmanuel Joseph Daniel Mazzulla, and Joe also has a stepson, Michael Harden.
Mazzulla is a devoted Catholic. He often talks about how his faith is very important to him.
He is also a big fan of the English soccer team Manchester City. He has even become friends with their manager, Pep Guardiola.
Many people in the media have noticed that Mazzulla has some similarities to former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Both coaches are known for being quiet and focused on their teams.
Coaching Records
College Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont State (Mountain East Conference) (2017–2019) | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | Fairmont State | 21–8 | 17–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 2018–19 | Fairmont State | 22–9 | 18–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division II First Round | ||||
| Fairmont State: | 43–17 (.717) | 35–9 (.795) | |||||||
| Total: | 43–17 (.717) | ||||||||
|
National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
|||||||||
NBA Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
 |
NBA record |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2022–23 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Atlantic | 20 | 11 | 9 | .550 | Lost in Conference Finals |
| Boston | 2023–24 | 82 | 64 | 18 | .780 | 1st in Atlantic | 19 | 16 | 3 | .842 | Won NBA Finals |
| Boston | 2024–25 | 82 | 61 | 21 | .744 | 1st in Atlantic | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost in Conference Semifinals |
| Career | 246 | 182 | 64 | .740 |
50 | 33 | 17 | .660 | |||
See also
In Spanish: Joe Mazzulla para niños
