Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been officially named the NBA Coach of the Year, concluding the league's annual postseason awards schedule. This prestigious recognition comes after Mazzulla guided the Celtics to an impressive 56-win season in 2025-26, securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. His achievement is particularly notable given that star player Jayson Tatum missed a significant portion of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Despite their strong regular season performance, the Celtics were ultimately eliminated by Philadelphia in a seven-game series during the first round of the playoffs.

Mazzulla reflected on the season's overarching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of "the process towards a championship" as the primary goal. Speaking on NBC's pregame show ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, he stated, "That's a credit to the players and it's a credit to the entire organization. In one of our first meetings this year, we met our entire building and said we are going to stick to the process of winning and not get caught up in the external thing." He praised the commitment from the entire organization, acknowledging that while they "fell short" of the ultimate goal, the team consistently approached each day with determination to improve.

At 38 years old on June 30, Mazzulla becomes the youngest recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year award since Phil Johnson in 1975. His tenure with the Celtics has been remarkably successful, boasting a 238-90 record over four seasons, which stands as the best record in the league during that span. Furthermore, Mazzulla previously led the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2024. He joins an elite group as the fourth coach in franchise history to earn this honor, following in the footsteps of Bill Fitch (1979-80), Tommy Heinsohn (1972-73), and legendary Red Auerbach (1964-65).

Mazzulla dedicated the award to his coaching staff, expressing profound gratitude for their tireless efforts. "That means everything to me," he said. He highlighted the extensive work involved, including "the long nights, the trips, the game plans, the video guys that are clipping up the film and coding it, and the assistants that are putting it together." He emphasized that "there's so much that goes into winning one game, and it starts with the players, but it goes to our staff. I feel bad that they are not here, but I'm forever indebted to the guys that we have that give up time with their families and time to win every day."

In the voting, Mazzulla secured a dominant victory, receiving 62 of the 100 first-place votes and appearing on 96 of the 100 ballots, more than any other coach this year. Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, who led the Pistons to the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, finished second for the second consecutive year. Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs placed third in the voting.

With Mazzulla's announcement, the NBA awards season has concluded. Other notable recipients include Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who earned both MVP and Clutch Player of the Year honors. Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker was recognized as the league's Most Improved Player. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was named the Defensive Player of the Year, while his teammate Keldon Johnson secured the Sixth Man of the Year award. Finally, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was honored as the Rookie of the Year.