Celtics Rumors: Frank Vogel, Terry Stotts Targeted to Join Joe Mazzulla's Staff

The Boston Celtics are reportedly looking at two former head coaches to serve as assistants on Joe Mazzulla's staff for the 2022-23 season.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein in his Substack Newsletter, the Celtics have shown interest in Frank Vogel and Terry Stotts as top assistants to help their interim head coach.

Stein did note Boston is "pessimistic" about the chances of hiring either one.

In addition to Vogel and Stotts, the Celtics pursued Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga to work on Mazzulla's staff.

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Larranaga is going to remain with the Clippers. He spent nine seasons with Boston as an assistant coach from 2012-21.

Mazzulla took over as interim head coach for the Celtics after Ime Udoka was suspended for the 2022-23 season on Sept. 22 for violations of team policies.

The 34-year-old Mazzulla is tied with Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz as the youngest head coaches in the NBA for the upcoming season. His only previous experience as a head coach was in college at Fairmont State from 2017-19.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Mazzulla is the youngest head coach to start a season with a team that reached the NBA Finals in the previous year since Bill Russell was hired as player-coach in Boston at the age of 32 for the 1966-67 campaign.

Brad Stevens hired Mazzulla as an assistant on his coaching staff in June 2019. After Stevens was promoted to president of basketball operations after the 2020-21 season, Udoka retained Mazzulla as an assistant.

Stotts sat out last season after parting ways with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 64-year-old has a 517-486 career record in 13 seasons as a head coach between the Blazers, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

In May, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported Stotts wasn't interested in being an assistant when he was connected to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Vogel was fired as head coach of the Lakers in April after the team missed the playoffs with a 37-45 record. He began his coaching career as an assistant with the Celtics from 2001-04. The 49-year-old has 11 years of experience as a head coach between the Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic.