Joe Mazzulla has been named the NBA's 2025-26 Coach of the Year, taking home the Red Auerbach Trophy after steering the Boston Celtics to a 56-26 regular-season finish. The honor caps a year in which Mazzulla leaned on depth, development and defense to keep Boston near the top of the Eastern Conference despite major roster turnover and injuries. It is the fourth time a Celtics coach has won the award, and the franchise's first Coach of the Year since Bill Fitch in 1980.
Mazzulla captured 62 of the 100 first-place votes to win the media-balloted award, finishing ahead of Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff and San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson, according to CBS Sports. The league posted the full ballots through its communications account, and national outlets quickly highlighted Boston’s over-performance versus preseason expectations. Voters praised the Celtics for plugging inexperienced pieces into meaningful roles while maintaining one of the NBA’s top defenses throughout the regular season.
How He Did It
The Celtics finished 56-26 and earned the No. 2 seed after a campaign that required them to rebuild rotations on the fly, according to the team’s page on NBA.com. Mazzulla’s staff, which the team lists as including assistants such as Sam Cassell, Tony Dobbins and D.J. MacLeay, drew credit for player development that turned late draft picks and low-cost signings into rotation contributors. The Boston Globe previously detailed how Boston lost several veteran rotation players in the offseason and spent much of the year without Jayson Tatum, yet still piled up the wins that pushed Mazzulla into the awards conversation.
What Mazzulla Said
After the announcement, Mazzulla thanked his family and repeatedly shifted attention away from himself, saying, “Thank you to the Lord for the platform he has given me, and to my wife and family who supported me on this journey,” and adding that “this award should be named Staff of the Year.” NBC Chicago published the coach’s full statement and noted he had earlier called the trophy “stupid,” insisting the recognition belongs to the players and the staff.
What Comes Next
The accolade recognizes regular-season performance and arrives amid questions about Boston’s postseason finish after an early playoff exit. NBC Chicago also quoted Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens praising Mazzulla and his staff while promising roster work this summer. For a team that exceeded expectations in the standings, the award stands as a personal milestone for Mazzulla and a public nod to the staff and front office work that underpinned the season’s success.
