Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics has won the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year award, the league announced on Tuesday. This is Mazzulla's first Coach of the Year victory and, somewhat surprisingly, the first win by a Celtics coach in more than 40 years.
Red Auerbach, Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Fitch all won the award for Boston, but none later than 1980. Mazzulla breaks a 46-year drought for the Celtics.
When asked about the award in March, Mazzulla declared his distaste for its very existence. "I don't need it," Mazzulla said. "I think it's a stupid award. They shouldn't have it. And it's more about the players. It's more about the work that the staff puts in."
He added: "I really don't ever want to be asked or talk about it again. The players play. It's about them. Staff work their ass off. I'm grateful to have them."
Despite Mazzulla's protests, his case for the award was undeniable. He took 62 of the 100 first-place votes and bested J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons for the top spot in the voting.
The Celtics entered last postseason as championship favorites, but when Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during Boston's second-round loss to the New York Knicks, they quickly pivoted off their championship core.
Key veterans Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet were offloaded to help the Celtics duck both the second apron and the luxury tax. With limited resources to spend on replacing those players, the Celtics were left with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and the players they developed internally.
Entering the season, the Celtics were expected to be at best a Play-In team. Their preseason win total projection was 41.5. By comparison, the lowly Indiana Pacers were at 37.5.
Instead, the Celtics won 56 games. Mazzulla's 3-point-heavy style and dominance in the possession game gave Boston a night-to-night edge that few teams could compete with.
The Celtics ranked third in the NBA in rebounding rate despite entering the season without a proven center. They ranked third-lowest in turnover rate despite not having an All-Star guard. Even with the bulk of last year's defensive core out, the Celtics still managed to rank No. 4 in the league in defense.
Unheralded players like Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh turned into key contributors on Mazzulla's watch.
Boston ultimately lost its first-round series to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending Mazzulla's pursuit of a second championship ring. But this award measures only the regular season, and no coach did better under the circumstances they were dealt than Mazzulla.
It's a cold comfort in light of the season's ending, but it's well-deserved recognition for one of the league's best coaches.