Celtics

Celtics spark speculation that they’ve hired Jeff Van Gundy to their coaching staff for 2023-24 season

Published by
Peter Dewey

Former NBA head coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy may be a part of the Boston Celtics coaching staff for the 2023-24 season.

Boston’s team website lists Van Gundy as a senior consultant, which is a position within the team’s coaching staff. If he is indeed part of the staff, it’s unclear what his exact responsibilities are with the team, but it’s possible that he’ll help mentor young head coach Joe Mazzulla.

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Assistant Coaches Charles Lee
Samuel Cassell
Tony Dobbins
Amile Jefferson
DJ MacLeay
Matthew Reynolds
Player Enhancement Coaches Craig Luschenat
Phil Pressey
Tyler Lashbrook
Ross McMains
Alex Merg
Jermaine Bucknor
Senior Consultant Jeff Van Gundy

Van Gundy was laid off by ESPN earlier this year after spending several seasons as one of the top NBA analysts for the company. The Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season marked Van Gundy’s 17th championship series as an analyst.

Van Gundy began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in the 1989-90 season. He eventually took over as the team’s head coach in the middle of the 1995-96 season and remained in that position into the 2001-02 campaign.

During the 1998-99 lockout season, Van Gundy guided the Knicks to a 27-23 record in the regular season, and the team went on to make the NBA Finals.

New York became the first No. 8 seed to ever make the NBA Finals that season, and the team remained the only one to accomplish the feat until Miami reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed in the 2022-23 season.

After his time coaching the Knicks, Van Gundy spent four seasons as the head coach of the Houston Rockets, compiling a 182-146 regular season record with the franchise. He has not coached in the NBA since the 2006-07 season.

During his time as an NBA head coach, Van Gundy saw 88 playoff games, posting a 44-44 record with one NBA Finals appearance.

The Celtics, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals in Mazzulla’s first season as the team’s head coach, are expected to be one of the best teams in the NBA in the 2023-24 season.

The squad has two rising stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and it added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in trades this offseason. The team is hoping those moves help bring it back to the NBA Finals this season.

It will be interesting to see if Boston makes a formal announcement that Van Gundy is indeed part of the team’s coaching staff and shares what his responsibilities will be this upcoming season.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Sources: Bucks brass now regrets firing Adrian Griffin and hiring Doc Rivers

If the Milwaukee Bucks could go back in time and not fire Adrian Griffin for…

3 weeks ago

Sources: Some members of Rockets regret Kevin Durant trade

Some members of the Houston Rockets regret trading for Kevin Durant last offseason, sources told…

1 month ago

Sources: Milwaukee Bucks expected to pursue trade for Kawhi Leonard this offseason

The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to pursue a trade for Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi…

2 months ago

Maxx Crosby says winning is all that matters to him: ‘I want to win more than anything on this planet’

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby only cares about winning. The five-time Pro Bowler…

2 months ago

Terron Armstead says the 2023 Dolphins were a ‘Super Bowl team’ if healthy

The Miami Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game in more than two decades, but former…

2 months ago

NBA coach who’s worked with Kevin Durant: ‘It’s like he is unhappy all the time’

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has been the subject of allegations related to a burner…

2 months ago