The Boston Celtics are rolling with Joe Mazzulla for the foreseeable future.
The Celtics officially named Mazzulla their 19th head coach in franchise history Thursday, promoting him from the interim head coach role he had served in since taking over for the suspended Ime Udoka in September.
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Boston also agreed to a contract extension with Mazzulla, and although the terms weren't disclosed, it's a clear sign that the Celtics have cut ties with Udoka and are ready to move forward with Mazzulla.
"Mazzulla replaces Ime Udoka," the Celtics said in a statement Thursday morning.
The Celtics suspended Udoka on Sept. 22 for violations of team policies, and Mazzulla took over that week as the team's interim head coach. The Rhode Island native has risen to the challenge and then some, guiding the C's to the NBA's best record at the All-Star break at 42-17 and earning a trip to Utah this weekend to serve as head coach of Team Giannis in the All-Star Game.
"As he has shown, Joe is a very talented coach and leader," Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. "He has a unique ability to galvanize a room around a mission. We are thankful for the work he has done to help get us to this point, and excited that he has agreed to lead us into the future."
It's unclear what the future holds for Udoka after Thursday's announcement, but it's clear that Mazzulla -- who is the longest-tenured coach on Boston's staff after joining the team in 2019 -- has earned the Celtics' trust going forward.
