The NBA and college football, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has officially turned down massive coaching offers from two of the most prestigious programs in college sports: the Georgia Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Sources close to both programs confirmed that Mazzulla was approached in recent weeks with offers reportedly reaching up to $7.5 million per year, each promising full control over football operations and long-term contracts to lure him away from the NBA hardwood to the college football sideline. Despite the jaw-dropping figures and the prestige of both jobs, Mazzulla left no doubt about his commitment.
“I have no plans beyond being the head coach of the Boston Celtics,” Mazzulla said in a press statement released Tuesday evening. “The loyalty this organization has shown me is something I do not take lightly. I’m focused on bringing championships back to Boston — nothing more, nothing less.”
The news came as a surprise to many, especially given the fact that Mazzulla has no coaching experience in football. His leadership, however, has drawn admiration across the sports world for his discipline, culture-building, and player-first mentality — traits that evidently caught the attention of top college programs looking to revamp their images.
Both Georgia and Notre Dame were reportedly willing to roll the dice on a crossover hire in hopes of replicating the kind of transformational leadership Deion Sanders brought to Colorado. But Mazzulla’s unwavering loyalty to the Celtics has now made headlines for an entirely different reason
“This isn’t about money,” an NBA executive close to Mazzulla said. “It’s about legacy, identity, and unfinished business in Boston.”
Mazzulla, who took over the Celtics in 2022 and has led them to multiple deep playoff runs, has become one of the NBA’s brightest young minds. His decision to reject multimillion-dollar college offers speaks volumes in an era when coaching jobs — and loyalties — often shift with the highest bidder.
With the Celtics poised for another championship run, fans in Boston are rallying around their coach more than ever. As for Georgia and Notre Dame, the search continues — and the bar for commitment just got a whole lot higher.
Leave a Reply