Source: Celtics Made ’No Guarantees’ to Ime Udoka About His Future

Last season marked the Boston coach’s first season as head coach.
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The Celtics officially suspended coach Ime Udoka for the 2022–23 season for “violations of team policies.” This comes just a day after it was reported that the coach had an “improper intimate and consensual relationship” with a female member of the team’s staff.

According to a source via Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the Celtics did not guarantee Udoka a job once his suspension ends for the following 2023–24 season.

“A decision about [Udoka’s] future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the Celtics’ statement read.

With Udoka’s suspension, Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla is reportedly expected to take over as interim coach. Mazzulla has never held a head-coaching job in the NBA, though he did coach Boston’s Summer League team.

The 2021–22 season marked Udoka’s first season as Celtics coach. He led the team to a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and eventually to the team’s first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years.

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For more Boston Celtics coverage, go to Inside The Celtics. 


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.