Joe Mazzulla wins NBA Coach of the Year after calling the award 'stupid' just months earlier

Boston Celtics caput manager Joe Mazzulla called the Coach of the Year grant "stupid."

Now, he’s won it.

"I don’t request it. I deliberation it’s a anserine award," Mazzulla said backmost successful March aft being asked astir the anticipation of winning it owed to the Celtics’ regular-season occurrence without immoderate of its stars, including Jayson Tatum, for astir of the year.

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Head manager Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics watches during the 2nd 4th of Game Five successful the archetypal circular of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff against the Philadelphia 76ers astatine TD Garden successful Boston, Mass., connected April 28, 2026. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The award’s victor was announced connected Tuesday night, arsenic Mazzulla helped pb the Celtics to the No. 2 effect successful the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record, finishing 4 games down the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.

But Mazzulla wasn’t conscionable calling the grant anserine for the involvement of it – helium believed it should beryllium a "coaching unit of the year" grant alternatively than 1 idiosyncratic getting hardware.

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Mazzulla, discussing the grant connected Tuesday night, told NBC arsenic much.

"The agelong nights, the trips, crippled plans, the video guys that are clipping up the movie and coding it, the assistants who are putting successful the crippled plan, I deliberation there’s truthful overmuch that goes into winning 1 game," Mazzulla explained. "It starts with the players, but it goes to our staff. I consciousness atrocious that they’re not present — but everlastingly indebted to the guys that we person that springiness up clip with their families and their clip to springiness america a accidental to triumph each day."

Mazzulla is the 4th Celtics manager to triumph the award, which is named aft the legendary Red Auerbach, who won it successful 1965. Tom Heinsohn (1973) and Bill Fitch (1980) person besides received the Red Auerbach Trophy successful their careers.

Boston Celtics manager Joe Mazzulla calls to players during the archetypal fractional of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks successful Boston connected June 6, 2024. (Charles Krupa/AP)

Auerbach helped pb the Celtics to 9 NBA titles, including 8 successful a enactment from 1959-66, during his Hall of Fame career.

Mazzulla was capable to seizure that glory successful 2024, arsenic the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1, to notch yet different Larry O’Brien Trophy for Boston’s mantle.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, they were incapable to marque it acold successful these playoffs contempt their stars getting steadfast precocious successful the season. They were shockingly bounced successful the archetypal circular aft losing Game 7 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

But Mazzulla, 37, is present the youngest caput manager to person the Coach of the Year grant since the legendary Phil Jackson won it successful 1975, per the NBA.

While Mazzulla wanted to constituent astatine his staff, Celtics president of hoops operations, Brad Stevens, praised his fourth-year caput coach.

Boston Celtics caput manager Joe Mazzulla watches the crippled during the 3rd 4th against the Indiana Pacers astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected Jan. 12, 2026. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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"This is good deserved designation and a testament to some Joe and his staff," Stevens said. "With each of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic occupation gathering and increasing a team. He pours everything helium has into competing astatine a precocious level, portion helping players find the champion versions of themselves wrong the model of a team."

Pistons caput manager J.B. Bickerstaff finished successful 2nd place, which is the aforesaid spot helium recovered himself successful aft past season, and San Antonio Spurs person Mitch Johnson finished successful 3rd place.

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