Celtics lose coaching prospect to 76ers, now looking at assistant Jay Larranaga


So yesterday it seemed as though the Celtics were leaning towards hiring Spurs assistant Brett Brown. However, as we've suddenly learned, a lot can change in 24 hours. Turns out the Sixers moved quickly and offered Brown their head coaching position, which he accepted. From the New York Daily News.

The Sixers have decided to hire San Antonio assistant coach Brett Brown as their new head coach, the Daily News has learned.
Brown replaces Doug Collins, who was not retained after this past season. Brown was an assistant for the past seven seasons under Gregg Popovich. Before that, he was the Spurs' player development coach for five years. He was also a candidate for the vacant Boston Celtics job to replace Doc Rivers and was up for the Denver job that went to Brian Shaw.

This was always going to be a problem when Doc Rivers waited until Mid-June to tell the team he kind of wanted to be here but kind of didn't and that he liked LA a lot. Other teams with vacancies have already had interviews with many of the top candidates, and in this case Philly knew what they potentially had in Brown, and pounced.

So what does that mean for the C's search? Well it appears that they will be giving assistant Jay Larranaga a look look. From Woj.


Larranaga spent 12 seasons playing professionally in Europe, and has head coaching experience in the NBDL with the Erie Jayhawks.

With the Celtics in full fledged "Re-build" mode, it makes sense to give the job to a younger, hungrier coach that has the patience to oversee the process. Of course, the first question becomes, how will Rondo adapt to a young coach? Rondo is well known to be tough to coach due to his incredible basketball IQ, and also his stubbornness. Now he'll be dealing with his first coaching change, plus the new title of 'longest tenured Celtic'. Rondo and Larranaga obviously have worked together in the past, but you have to wonder if RR will take issue to a new guy calling the shots when it was sometimes hard for him to take direction from a well established coach in Doc.

But that's a question for another day. First the Celtics actually have to make a move, as they are about to enter July without a coach, and with a Rondo(if healthy)-Bradley-Green-Brandon Bass-Kris Humphries starting five. Have mercy.

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