The Celtics made an effort this offseason to add more experience to Joe Mazzulla’s staff heading into his second year as head coach, and Boston reportedly made another addition Saturday.
Boston hired former ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy as a senior consultant for this upcoming season, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb. The former head coach reportedly spoke with the Celtics before they hired Sam Cassell and Charles Lee.
Van Gundy was a broadcaster for ESPN for 16 seasons, including the network’s NBA Finals coverage. He was laid off this past summer to cut costs.
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The 61-year-old had been away from the NBA sidelines since he was fired by the Houston Rockets in 2007. His name had been floated in recent years to return to coaching in some capacity, but Van Gundy remained in his broadcasting role.
Van Gundy has worked with Team USA to coach the gold medal team in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup Tournament. He was an assistant coach for the U.S. men’s basketball team during the 2019 FIBA World Cup and 2020 Summer Olympics. He worked with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum directly on the 2019 FIBA World Cup team.
The Celtics open the 2023-24 season against Van Gundy’s former team the New York Knicks on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden.
Featured image via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
