During last week’s press conference following Ime Udoka’s suspension, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was asked about adding to the team’s coaching staff. “We haven’t gone into a ton of discussions about adding to the staff,” he said at the time. “I think the staff checks a lot of boxes as is but there may be some additions.”
It now appears the Celtics have hit that stage and are exploring at least one possible addition. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team is “seeking permission to talk to Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga about joining interim coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff this season.”
The Celtics are seeking permission to talk to Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga about joining interim coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff this season, sources tell ESPN. Larranaga spent nine seasons with Celtics before joining the Clippers in 2021.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2022Before joining the Clippers last season, Larranaga was a long-time assistant for the Celtics. He was hired by Doc Rivers in 2012, and eventually became one of Stevens’ top assistants. During his time with the Celtics, he received multiple head coaching offers from Division-I colleges, but elected to stay in Boston. He also interviewed for NBA head coaching jobs.
In addition to Udoka’s suspension, the Celtics also lost last year’s top assistant in Will Hardy, who took the head coaching job with the Utah Jazz earlier this offseason. By bringing in Larranaga, the Celtics would add another coach with front of the bench experience to their staff.
On Wednesday, Mazzulla was asked about the possibility of Larranaga being added to the staff. “It’s more about studying our environment & what we need to help our staff & considering what do our players need,” he said, via
Joe Mazzulla on Celtics potentially adding former assistant Jay Larranaga to coaching staff: "It's more about studying our environment & what we need to help our staff & considering what do our players need? What are they familiar with & what are they looking for on our staff?"
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 28, 2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “What are they familiar with & what are they looking for on our staff?”As the Celtics continue to iron out their coaching staff, the team moves on with training camp which began on Tuesday. They’ll play their first preseason game on Tuesday at home against the Hornets.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].
