BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla was named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2025-26 season. The award, based solely on regular-season results, was determined by votes from a panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters submitted during the play-in tournament.

Mazzulla led the Boston Celtics to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference despite roster changes. The team’s roster was overhauled due to a cap crunch and luxury-tax considerations following the departures of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday. Star forward Jayson Tatum also missed most of the season while recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture suffered in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

At age 37, Mazzulla is the youngest NBA Coach of the Year winner since Phil Johnson in 1975. He becomes the fourth Celtics coach to receive the honor, joining Red Auerbach (1965), Tommy Heinsohn (1973), and Bill Fitch (1980). Over four seasons as head coach, Mazzulla has compiled a regular-season record of 238-90.

During his remarks on winning the award, Mazzulla shifted focus to his staff. "The long nights, the trips, game plans, the video guys that are clipping up the film and coding it, the assistants who are putting in the game plan, I think there’s so much that goes into winning one game." He added, "This award should be named Staff of the Year."

Brad Stevens, Celtics President of Basketball Operations, praised Mazzulla’s season. "This is well-deserved recognition and a testament to both Joe and his staff. With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team."

Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff finished second in voting for the second consecutive year, and San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson placed third. The Celtics’ regular-season success contrasted with their playoff exit, as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the first round after holding a 3-1 series lead—the first such loss in franchise history.