Joe Mazzulla is only in his fourth season as the Boston Celtics’ head coach, but he’s already accomplished a lot. He’s led them to an NBA championship, a conference finals appearance and two 60-win seasons (and counting) since replacing Ime Udoka prior to the 2022-23 campaign.
Mazzulla’s tenure has been defined by winning. On Monday, he notched his 200th career regular-season win in his 275th game, becoming the third-fastest head coach in NBA history to reach that milestone behind only Steve Kerr (238) and Hall of Famer Phil Jackson (270).
For reference, both of them did so with dynasties. Jackson did it with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s, while Kerr had the mid-2010s Golden State Warriors.
Mazzulla’s Celtics may not be a dynasty yet, but there’s still time to become one as long as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are around. In the meantime, Mazzulla is proving himself as an NBA Coach of the Year candidate this season with a short-handed roster.
Story continues below advertisement
Interestingly, Mazzulla’s 200th win was among his strangest yet. Boston got off to a slow start and trailed the lowly Indiana Pacers by as many as 20 points in the third quarter. He responded by pulling his starters, which sparked a huge comeback by the Celtics in their 103-95 victory.
Mazzulla’s career regular-season record now stands at 200-75–good for a .727 winning percentage. The 37-year-old will look to improve on that mark on Friday when Boston kicks off a five-game road trip against the Pacers.
Featured image via Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
