Celtics Rumors: Jeff Van Gundy Hired as Senior Consultant for 2023-24 Season

After being laid off by ESPN earlier this year, Jeff Van Gundy is reportedly returning to the NBA.

According to Brian Robb of MassLive, the Boston Celtics have hired Van Gundy as a senior consultant for the 2023-24 season.

Van Gundy had spent the last 16 years working as a broadcaster for ESPN, announcing each NBA Finals during that period. He was part of the company's layoffs over the summer as a cost-cutting maneuver.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Van Gundy was a longtime NBA head coach who compiled a record of 430-318 across 11 seasons. He took over as head coach of the New York Knicks and led the team to an NBA Finals appearance in 1999, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. He was hired as head coach of the Houston Rockets in 2003, which was his last stop before he stepped away from coaching in 2007.

However, Van Gundy had returned to the sidelines in recent years through the international game. He served as head coach of the U.S. men's basketball team during the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup Tournament and as an assistant coach during the 2019 FIBA World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Van Gundy is the latest high-profile addition to a Celtics organization that will have multiple newcomers this season. Veteran assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Charles Lee were hired under head coach Joe Mazzulla, which should greatly benefit a team that is coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals.