Boston Celtics
“One day you’re there, the next day you’re not. That’s how it goes.”
Joe Mazzulla is now the longest-tenured in Boston. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe
Joe Mazzulla is now the longest-tenured head coach in Boston.
Mazzulla now sits atop the seniority ranks in this market after the Red Sox made the stunning decision to fire Alex Cora and several of his coaches on Saturday amid a 10-17 start to the 2026 season.
Mazzulla, who has been candid in the past when asked about the short shelf life that coaches are afforded in pro sports, was asked about Cora’s surprise ouster on Sunday before the Celtics’ Game 4 matchup against the 76ers.
“One day you’re there, the next day you’re not,” Mazzulla said. “That’s how it goes.”
Mazzulla praised Cora, who managed the Red Sox for eight season and helped Boston win a World Series title in 2018.
“He’s great,” Mazzulla said of Cora. “I think he does a great job building relationships with the players, navigating the ebbs and flows of a long season, staying even-keeled.
“I’m grateful I got to learn from him, and wherever he goes, I know he’ll be good. But he does a great job just building relationships, communication. I learned a ton from him.”
During an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Sunday, Mazzulla elaborated more on Cora’s ability as a communicator and the role that it plays in helping managers and coaches steer the ship over the grind of a long season.
“I think one of his best gifts is just his ability to connect with the guys in a certain way,” Mazzulla said of Cora. “And any time you have a guy who is a great manager, but also was a good player, they know how to navigate a locker room, and they know how to develop relationships with different guys. … I watched a lot of his pressers and how he was able to just convey consistency, whether they were playing well or whether they weren’t.
“So, grateful to know him wherever he goes, I’ve definitely gotten better because of him.”
The Red Sox — who are moving forward with Chad Tracy as their interim manager — won their first game in the post-Cora era on Sunday. They beat the Orioles, 5-3, in Baltimore.
Mazzulla — who was first named as interim head coach of the Celtics in September 2022 — is 238-90 since taking over as Boston’s coach, helping the Celtics win a title in 2024.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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