Boston Celtics: 12 candidates for the head coaching position

The Top Names

Boston Celtics head coach candidate #1: Lloyd Pierce

Resume:
Atlanta Hawks (HC), 2018-2021 (fired)
NBA assistant from 2007-18 (Cavaliers, Warriors, Grizzlies, 76ers)
Santa Clara University (assistant), 2003-07

Record:
63-120  

Age:
45

According to multiple reports, Lloyd Pierce has already emerged as a candidate for the Celtics’ head coaching position. While it’s not ideal for a reported top candidate to be a guy who was just fired mid-season, but Pierce does bring a lot of experience to the table.

Pierce is an outspoken coach who seemed to be on the upward trajectory before his untimely firing in Atlanta halfway through his third season there. He’s been in the league as a coach in some capacity for almost 20 years following a playing career overseas and a four-year stint as a collegiate assistant.

There are bigger, more intriguing names on this list, and Pierce never seemed to get things going in Atlanta. In fact, the Hawks really turned their season around after Pierce’s firing, going 27-11 under Nate McMillan and wining the Southeast Division to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Boston Celtics head coach candidate #2: Jason Kidd

Resume:
Los Angeles Lakers (assistant), 2019-present
Milwaukee Bucks (HC), 2014-18 (fired)
Brooklyn Nets (HC), 2013-14

Record:
183-190

Age:
48

Another name that’s already been tied to Boston early in the search, Jason Kidd has been an assistant with the Lakers the last two years after being fired as head coach of the Bucks in 2018.

Kidd was a star point guard as a player, but his coaching career hasn’t seen the same success. Not even two weeks after retiring from the NBA, Kidd was hired as the Nets’ head coach in June of 2013 and only stayed there a season, leaving for the Bucks after Milwaukee sent the Nets two second-round draft picks. The Bucks struggled to finish above .500 under Kidd, and he was fired midway through the 2017-18 campaign.

The former 10-time All-Star as a player has had a rollercoaster of a coaching career, but his last two years with the Lakers — one that included a championship — could be just what he needed to get his head coaching path back on track.

Boston Celtics head coach candidate #3: Sam Cassell

Resume:
Philadelphia 76ers (assistant), 2020-present
Los Angeles Clippers (assistant), 2014-20
Washington Wizards (assistant), 2009-14

Record:
N/A

Age:
51

According to SportsLine, Sam Cassell is the current favorite to land the Celtics’ head coaching job, and Bleacher Report has him as their frontrunner, too. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, but the former 3-time NBA Champion has certainly garnered a lot of buzz as an assistant coach the last decade.

Cassell ended his playing career with the Celtics in 2008, winning a ring in the process. Since then, he’s spent the last 12 years as an assistant in the league. Cassell currently serves as an assistant for the 76ers, and he was already lauded as a stellar assistant early on in Washington in his first gig.

Cassell is known for developing point guards and has the type of personality that could really help Boston’s roster. His lack of head coaching experience could be a drawback, but Cassell has ties to the Celtics and former players.

Boston Celtics head coach candidate #4: Chauncey Billups

Resume:
Los Angeles Clippers (assistant), 2020-present

Record:
N/A

Age:
44

Another former NBA player with ties to the Celtics, Chauncy Billups has already been mentioned with the C’s open job, too. Billups has the second-best odds to land the position per SportsLine, and Billups certainly knows Boston.

The Celtics drafted Billups No. 3 overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, and although he and then-head coach Rick Pitino did not get along, Billups now has connections with current players on Boston’s roster and certainly seems like a likely candidate.

Billups only has one year of coaching experience, though, serving as an assistant with another former team of his, the Clippers, this past season. Just like with Sam Cassell, though, his attitude and personality could be something the Celtics need.

Boston Celtics head coach candidate #5: Kenny Atkinson

Resume:
Los Angeles Clippers (assistant), 2020-present
Brooklyn Nets (HC), 2016-20 (resigned)
Atlanta Hawks (assistant), 2012-16
New York Knicks (assistant), 2008-12

Record:
118-190

Age:
53

The most experienced name on this list, Kenny Atkinson has been an assistant with three different NBA franchises and was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons before resigning two seasons ago.

Atkinson had a brutal start to his tenure at Brooklyn, going a combined 48-116 in his first two seasons as head coach. He helped lead the Nets to the playoffs in his third season, but the team fell back to below the .500 mark in his fourth year, and he resigned on March 7, 2020. That Nets team played better under Jacque Vaughn and made the playoffs, though they were swept in the first round and ended up hiring Steve Nash for this past season.

The freshly-turned 53-year-old has played and coached overseas, and he’s been in the NBA for nearly 15 years as a coach. He’s coached against the Celtics on numerous occasions, but he’s on the older end of what Boston might be looking for in their next head coach.