BOSTON — For the past three years, the Boston Celtics have been one of the top teams in basketball, all under Joe Mazzulla. When the Rhode Island native took over as head coach in 2022, Boston was fresh off a Finals berth, but since then, they’ve made it back to two Eastern Conference finals, won an NBA Championship, and are poised for a second straight title run this year.
At 36 years old, Mazzulla is the youngest head coach in the NBA, and when he was named interim head coach three years ago, he was truly thrown into the fire. Since then, Mazzulla has been the beneficiary of a multitude of mentorships that have helped him transform into one of the best coaches in the league.
Most notably, Mazzulla has formed a close bond with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Man City has won the Premier League in four straight seasons (though they are poised to fail in their pursuit this year), so there aren’t many people on the planet who know about winning consistently more than Guardiola.
Joe Mazzulla and UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma's great relationship
But Mazzulla found another in UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
“He's been amazing,” Mazzulla said when asked about his relationship with Auriemma. “I think, when I first got the job, the Italian connection, and really the connection of just being in New England. But, to me, he's the basketball version of what we talk about with Pep. He has the ability to outcoach you tactically, manage the best players, manage talent. And all the things that some of the best players of all-time say about him, it just shows what type of person and coach he is.
“He really took me under his wing, just kind of how to go after greatness, how to manage talent, how to coach talent to the highest level. And how to do it with great perspective, because I think, as successful as he's been, he's got great perspective.”
The Huskies are back in the Finals this year, led by Paige Buekers and Sarah Strong, and at the peak of his powers, Auriemma’s Huskies won 111 straight games from 2014 to 2017 (an all-time record), winning four straight National Championships.
Since taking over the lead seat in Boston, Mazzulla has made it a point to form relationships with fellow New England coaches, including Alex Cora, Jarod Mayo (when he was at the helm of the New England Patriots), and now Mike Vrabel.