Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy is being considered for an assistant role with the Boston Celtics.
Van Gundy’s potential career change comes after his departure from ESPN led to an NBA consultant role with the Boston Celtics.
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It was reported by NBA reporter Marc Stein that the Celtics are exploring the idea of having Van Gundy as a senior advisor to head coach Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff next season.
The Celtics, who will play the first game of the NBA Finals at home on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, will lose at least one assistant coach from Mazulla’s staff.
Carlos Lee became the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets last month.
Van Gundy has experience as an NBA head coach, having coached the New York Knicks from 1995 to 2001.
He led them to the finals in 1999.
From 2003 to 2007, Van Gundy was the head coach of the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets fired him and he would become a regular on ESPN.
Van Gundy called games as a color commentator with announcers Mike Breen and Mark Jackson for 15 years.
However, in 2023, both Van Gundy and Jackson were fired by ESPN amid a wave of layoffs by the network.
Multiple reports indicated that Van Gundy was fired because ESPN believed he might leave the network to take on a coaching role.
Veteran broadcaster Doris Burke and then-former NBA coach Doc Rivers replaced the duo on the main broadcast team.
Rivers ended up leaving the network in January to accept the vacant head coaching position with the Bucks.
Van Gundy has been a constant presence at Celtics practices, home games and travel.
The 62 year old man Basketball IQ and intelligence continue to impress Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
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“Jeff has been great,” Stevens said of Van Gundy before the playoffs began.
“I’ve known Jeff for a long time and have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him over the years.
“It’s fun to watch a game with him when he doesn’t have to speak in 15-second sentences.
“He is very fun.”
Van Gundy is also a consultant for the Maine Celtics.
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