Celtics considering adding Jeff Van Gundy to coaching staff: Report

Interesting, but given his experience I'm not sure he would accept second chair.
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NBC Sports Boston

Celtics considering adding Jeff Van Gundy to coaching staff: Report

Darren Hartwell
Mon, Jun 3, 2024, 9:24 AM EDT·2 min read

Celtics considering adding Jeff Van Gundy to coaching staff: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston


The Boston Celtics will lose at least one and possibly two experienced assistant coaches this summer. But they're apparently mulling an interesting contingency plan.

The Celtics are exploring the idea of adding senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy to head coach Joe Mazzulla's coaching staff next season, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported Sunday.

Van Gundy spent 10-plus seasons as an NBA head coach with the New York Knicks (1995 to 2001) and Houston Rockets (2003 to 2007) before transitioning to a broadcast career with ESPN. In October 2023, he joined the Celtics as a senior consultant of basketball operations and has been a fixture at practices, home games and road trips while also spending time with the Maine Celtics of the G-League.

"Jeff's been great," Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said at the end of Boston's regular season in mid-April. " ... I will say this, I’ve known Jeff a long time and gotten a chance to spend a lot of time with him over the years. It is fun watching a game with him when he doesn’t have to speak in 15- second sound bites. He’s pretty entertaining.”

The Celtics already are losing top assistant Charles Lee, who recently accepted the Charlotte Hornets' head coach job, while veteran assistant Sam Cassell reportedly has interviewed for multiple NBA head coach openings. By bringing Van Gundy to the bench, Mazzulla would have a valuable resource with more than three decades of NBA experience.

"It's really cool because he has a non-biased perspective toward our organization," Mazzulla said of Van Gundy after he was hired in October. "And as the season goes on, it becomes hard at times to take a 30,000-foot view, because you're working with these guys every day and you're in it, and you're staff is in it.

"So to have a guy who can take a step back and see the organization from the outside -- he's scouting us, so we're going to know ourselves better than others because he's looking at us every single day and studying us. He has a non-biased perspective. It's like, 'Here's what you're doing well, here's what you're not, and here's what I see.'

"To me, that's a huge weapon to have."

That would be an excellent move if that's what Jeff wants to do.  I'm all on board for that.  

Make it happen, Brad!!

db

We do not know what his role would be. With Lee gone it seems to me that Sam Cassells should be our top assistant. He could end up with the Lakers but I do not see him leaving for a lateral opportunity. If the head coaching job is offered, he is gone.

JVG has not coached a game since the 2006-07 season. The game has changed significantly over the past 17 years. As an analyst he seemed to take issue with the current style of play.

The rumors yesterday were that Sam Cassell was going to Milwaukee with the highest paid contract for an assistant coach??? Believe it or nor, money does talk, that is not to say Wyc would not match it. Lee could not have come here cheaply NYCelt, no inside info on Van Gundy????

I read about the Bucks connection. If the money is right it is easy to see Sam hooking up with doc again.

CJ should be heavily involved in bringing in another assistant. Continuity is important but some of that will be lost with Lee and Cassells gone.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:The rumors yesterday were that Sam Cassell was going to Milwaukee with the highest paid contract for an assistant coach??? Believe it or nor, money does talk, that is not to say Wyc would not match it. Lee could not have come here cheaply    NYCelt, no inside info on Van Gundy????

Not any longer, Rosalie. Our friend in common moved to Florida and I don’t talk with him as often. I have lowered the level of my sponsorship with the annual basketball tourney that at one time involved both and neither my wife nor Jeff have attended their college reunion the past couple of opportunities.