The Boston Celtics have named a new head coach following Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension.
Ime Udoka, the coach of the Boston Celtics, has been suspended for the whole 2022–2023 season following an internal inquiry that revealed he had broken team rules. The coach has expressed regret for his conduct.
Following Ime Udoka’s suspension by the team, assistant coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics will assume the role of interim head coach for the 2022–2023 campaign.
After an internal investigation, Udoka was suspended for the whole season; his assistant will now be under investigation. Less than a month before the new season is scheduled to begin, Mazzulla assumes the senior job after Udoka guided the Celtics to the NBA Finals the previous year.
The Celtics emphasized that a formal decision on Udoka’s future beyond the current season will be “made at a later date,” but they said that the decision was made in response to his violation of “team policies.” The suspension was confirmed by a statement issued by the Celtics on Thursday night.
The Boston Celtics announced today that head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the 2022–2023 season due to infractions of team policy. A later time will be used to decide if he stays with the Celtics after this season. The suspension is effective right away.”
The Celtics have suffered a great loss following such an incredible season that nearly saw them win the championship. Under Udoka’s direction, Boston finished the previous season with a 51-31 record, winning 26 of their final 32 games in an incredible comeback.
However, they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games after defeating the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat their route to the NBA Finals. Udoka said that he let the Celtics down by placing them in a challenging scenario before to the start of the new season, saying that he felt humiliated at the time.