Who's The Greatest Coach In Boston Celtics History?

In this series, we’ll take a look at the illustrious list of head coaches in each NBA franchise’s history. To make a case for ‘greatest coach,’ we’ll look at win-loss record, player development, and (most importantly) team accomplishments under that coach’s tutelage.

From the looks of it, the discussion of greatest Celtics coach ever is going to be a long, complex debate.

With the franchise staking its claim as the winningest team in NBA history (as no less than 18 NBA titles populate their trophy case), there is a strong case to be made for multiple head coaches in the GOAT conversation.

The field can be narrowed down if one gives less merit to the coaches who’ve handled the team from the 90s to the present. Celtics fans will readily admit that these 30+ years have been “drought years” compared to the highly successful seasons in previous decades.

Still, that leaves plenty of room for barber shop arguments to be raised as one nostalgic name after another gets brought up. Let the sparks fly, Boston faithful.

The image of Red Auerbach lighting a celebratory cigar is iconic. In the late 50s and 60s, it was the bane of every other NBA team as the Celtics ran circles around the opposition. With nine NBA championships on his resume, Auerbach is far and away the most successful Celtics coach ever.

The 70s saw more parity in the league, but Tom Heinsohn (who played for Boston from 1956 to 1965) made sure that the Celtics would still leave their mark. “The Hawk” amassed a 427-263 record, won two NBA titles, and received the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1973.

K.C. Jones was another former Celtics player who enjoyed success as the team’s head coach. From 1983 to 1988, he led a new generation of Celtics stars (such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish) to the summit. Jones won two NBA championships and compiled a 308-102 win-loss record.

Auerbach might as well be called “The Blueprint” as he set the standard for success by which all subsequent NBA coaches were measured against. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he gets the nod as the greatest coach in Celtics history.