Joe Mazzulla


Joseph Mazzulla is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for West Virginia.

High school career

Mazzulla attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island, where he made the all-state first team. He won three state titles at Bishop Hendricken, with his third as a senior on a last-second shot.

College career

As a freshman at West Virginia, Mazzulla helped the team win the 2007 National Invitation Tournament under coach John Beilein. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Mazzulla posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists in a second-round upset of Duke. He was forced to redshirt the 2008-09 season due to a shoulder injury against Ole Miss, as his growth plate never fused with his shoulder. He was unsure if he would ever play again, but practiced for two hours a day and underwent risky surgery. In April 2009, he was arrested for domestic battery at a bar in Morgantown, West Virginia and was suspended by coach Bob Huggins. As a redshirt junior, Mazzulla was named a captain and helped West Virginia reach the 2010 Final Four. He scored 17 points in the Elite Eight upset of Kentucky. As a senior, he averaged 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. In his career, he scored 700 points and dished out 340 assists.

Coaching career

Shortly after graduating college, Mazzulla was offered a coaching job at Nova Southeastern. He turned it down to pursue professional opportunities. He did not find any suitable opportunities overseas, and in September 2011 he joined Glenville State as an assistant. Mazzulla was hired as an assistant at Fairmont State under Jerrod Calhoun in 2013. During the 2016-17 season, he served as an assistant for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. Mazzulla was named head coach of Fairmont State in March 2017. In his second season, he led the team to a 22-9 record and appearance in the 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Mercyhurst, 63-60, in overtime. In June 2019, he was hired as an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics.

Personal life

Mazzulla is the son of basketball coach Dan Mazzulla, who played college basketball at Bryant and professionally for five years in Chile. In 2007, Dan Mazzulla was inducted into the Bryant Hall of Fame. He died of cancer in April 2020. Joe's younger brother Justin played basketball at George Washington before transferring to Vermont. Joe is married to Camai and has a stepson Michael and son Emmanuel.

Head coaching record