The Celtics have added former NBA head coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy as a senior consultant for the upcoming season, Brian Robb of MassLive reported Saturday.
Van Gundy was a longtime coach in the NBA, getting head coaching opportunities with the Knicks and Rockets from 1996 through 2007. After Houston fired him, Van Gundy joined ESPN and immediately worked on the network’s top broadcasting team with Mike Breen and Mark Jackson.
However ESPN recently let Van Gundy go amid a layoff of on-air personalities. Although the longtime broadcaster could have joined another network, he instead became interested in getting back into coaching just days after his layoff.
Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today network
As a head coach, Van Gundy posted a 430-318 regular-season record. In parts of 11 years as a head coach, Van Gundy’s teams reached the playoffs nine times, including the Knicks’ trip to the NBA Finals in 1999.
The 61-year-old is expected to split his time between Boston and the Maine Celtics, the team’s G League affiliate.
