Joe Mazzulla, more than debatable NBA Coach of the Year

The Boston Celtics coach, Joe Mazzulla, was named NBA Coach of the Year this Tuesday, officially closing the season of individual awards in the league. Of the three nominees, alongside Bickerstaff of the Pistons and Johnson of the Spurs, he had the fewest victories, despite coaching a team with 7 NBA champions and having the highest salary cap allocation. Also, they had fewer wins than the previous year.

Bickerstaff transformed a team with 14 wins into the top team in the East, achieving the second-best record in the history of the Pistons, with 90% of their players under 25. But Mazzulla didn't have centers...

Mazzulla led the Celtics to a record of 56 wins during the 2025-26 season, securing second place in the Eastern Conference despite missing Jayson Tatum for a significant period due to an Achilles tendon rupture. Boston ended up losing in seven games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

“It’s doubly important. At the end of the day, regardless of what happens in the summer or any moves that may be made, the process towards a championship is the number one goal, and staying true to that process,” said Mazzulla on American television before the fifth game of the Western Conference Finals.

The coach also emphasized the collective commitment of the entire organization during a season marked by challenges.

“In one of our early meetings this year, we said that we were going to stay true to the process of winning and not get distracted by external factors. I believe the commitment of the entire organization to that process was key. Obviously, we didn’t reach the final goal, but our players came in every day with ambition and a desire to improve,” he explained.

Mazzulla, who turns 38 on June 30, became the youngest coach to win the award since Phil Johnson in 1975. He also holds a record of 238 wins and 90 losses in four seasons with Boston, the best overall record in the NBA in that period, including the championship ring won in 2024.

The Celtics coach is only the fourth in franchise history to receive this recognition, joining Bill Fitch, Tommy Heinsohn, and Red Auerbach.

During his speech, Mazzulla wanted to share the award with his coaching staff.

“That means everything to me. Many times the long nights, the trips, the game plans, the video analysts preparing clips and coding actions, or the assistants organizing everything aren’t seen. It takes a lot of work to win a single game,” he commented.

Mazzulla's Clear Victory

Mazzulla received 62 first-place votes out of 100 possible and appeared on 96 ballots, both figures leading the final vote.

Second place went to J.B. Bickerstaff, who guided the Detroit Pistons to the top of the East, while Mitch Johnson finished third after the outstanding season of the San Antonio Spurs.

This award officially concludes the NBA awards season. Among the main recognitions, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named MVP and Clutch Player of the Year; Nickeil Alexander-Walker won the Most Improved Player award; Victor Wembanyama was named Defensive Player of the Year; Keldon Johnson received the Sixth Man of the Year award; and Cooper Flagg was crowned Rookie of the Year.

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