By Bill Nestor
It seems like yesterday when Joe Mazzulla was running the show as a standout gritty guard for West Virginia University. As a freshman under former Mountaineer coach John Belein in 2007, Mazzulla helped WVU to its most recent title. The Eers took home the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) crown.
The next season brought a new sheriff to town. Bob Huggins returned to his alma mater. The change didn’t seem to bother Mazzulla as he led the Mountaineers to the NCAA tournament and to a second round upset over national power Duke. The cream always rises to the top and Mazzulla was just a pair of assists shy of a triple double. The leadership that he showed while adjusting to various coaching styles made him a solid coaching candidate.
Just after graduation, Mazzulla was offered a job at Nova Southeastern, but he turned it down. Ironically, former RW graduate Jim Crutchfield would leave his post at West Liberty to take over the Shark program and even won the national championship this past season.Mazzulla wanted to test the overseas playing waters. However, the career of the former Mountaineer stalled, so he grabbed a whistle and went to work.
Mazzulla joined the Glenville State staff as an assistant in 2011. A few years later, he moved to Fairmont State to take the same position under Jerrod Calhoun. Calhoun would bolt for Youngstown State, opening the door for Mazzulla to take over the Falcon program.
In between the two state jobs, Mazzulla made a move that would prove to be advantageous down the road. He was an assistant for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. Not only did he have some great seafood, Mazzulla also gained experience coaching at the highest level while making valuable contacts along the way. In 2019 Mazzulla was added to the Boston Celtics staff, and just prior to the start of the season, he found himself promoted. At the age of 34, Mazzulla found himself in charge of one of the proudest organizations in professional sports. He officially became the leader of the Celtics on Feb 16 and received a contract extension along the way.
The expectations are great in Boston as he inherited a roster that had a golden opportunity to win a title a year ago. The 2-1 series lead over Golden State would evaporate, which had Celtic fans looking for a 19th title this year. Boston fell behind Miami 3-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. Mazzulla found himself in the hot seat, and only one loss away from a sweep. He rallied the troops and won three straight to force a decisive game 7. The Celtics laid an egg, suffering a 19 point setback.
It seems as if every NBA analyst has called for his firing. It’s unfair for Mazzulla to be the scapegoat, considering how poorly his players performed. A coach can’t play for his players and it was a frustrating ending. Hopefully, he will get another season to prove his worth to Boston. His work ethic is unmatched and his loyalty is with the Celtics.
