Celtics Head Coach History: Timeline of Boston Coaches, Including Red Auerbach, Joe Mazzulla image
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When you're the head coach of the Celtics, the goal never changes. The organization doesn't just want a successful season — it wants to raise a championship banner.
With a league-high 18 titles, Boston has benefited from the leadership of some of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Names like Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn and Doc Rivers are featured prominently in the team's record books.
Here is a complete history of Celtics head coaches.
Celtics head coach history: Full timeline
(Records via Basketball-Reference)
Head coach Years Reg. season record Playoff record
John Russell 1946-1948 42-66 1-2
Alvin Julian 1948-1950 47-81 —
Red Auerbach 1950-1966 795-397 90-58
Bill Russell 1966-1969 162-83 28-18
Tom Heinsohn 1969-1978 427-263 47-33
Tom Sanders 1978 23-39 —
Dave Cowens 1978-1979 27-41 —
Bill Fitch 1979-1983 242-86 26-19
K.C. Jones 1983-1988 308-102 65-37
Jimmy Rodgers 1988-1990 94-70 2-6
Chris Ford 1990-1995 222-188 13-16
M.L. Carr 1995-1997 48-116 —
Rick Pitino 1997-2001 102-146 —
Jim O'Brien 2001-2004 139-119 13-13
John Carroll 2004 14-22 0-4
Doc Rivers 2004-2013 416-305 59-47
Brad Stevens 2013-2021 354-282 38-40
Ime Udoka 2021-2022 51-31 14-10
Joe Mazzulla 2022-present 238-90 36-21
The five winningest Celtics coaches
(Based on total regular-season wins with the franchise)
5. K.C. Jones (1983-1988)
Record: 308-102
Jones was an eight-time NBA champion as a player with the Celtics before launching a successful coaching career. He is one of only five Boston coaches with more than 300 regular-season wins, and he led the Celtics to NBA titles in 1984 and 1986.
4. Brad Stevens (2013-2021)
Record: 354-282
Stevens served as the team's head coach for eight seasons before becoming the president of basketball operations. The Celtics consistently improved under Stevens, jumping from 25 wins in his first season all the way to 55 wins in his fifth season.
3. Doc Rivers (2004-2013)
Record: 416-305
Rivers helped the Celtics snap a championship drought that had lasted more than two decades, winning a title in 2008 with a "Big Three" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Rivers reached the NBA Finals again in 2010, falling just short of another ring with a loss to the Lakers in a seven-game series.
2. Tom Heinsohn (1969-1978)
Record: 427-263
Like Jones, Heinsohn won eight NBA championships as a Celtics player, then traded in his uniform for a suit. He had the difficult task of following Auerbach and Russell, but Heinsohn carried on the winning legacy, guiding Boston to titles in 1974 and 1976.
1. Red Auerbach (1950-1966)
Record: 795-397
The greatest coach in Celtics history. Auerbach set the standard in Boston, winning nearly 800 regular-season games and nine NBA championships as the team's head coach.
Celtics current coach
Joe Mazzulla (2022-present)
Record (as of Oct. 20, 2026): 238-90
Mazzulla joined the Celtics' coaching staff as an assistant in 2019. He received the title of interim head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season after Ime Udoka was suspended for multiple violations of team policies, and Boston eventually removed the interim tag.
It didn't take long for Mazzulla to make an impact, as the Celtics won the NBA championship in his second season.
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