Getty Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (L) and Kevin Garnett (R) hug head coach Doc Rivers (C) after winning Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics are in search of a new head coach. Less than a day removed from being eliminated from the playoffs, the Cs underwent a massive overhaul. It was announced on Wednesday that Danny Ainge would be retiring, making way for now-former head coach Brad Stevens to man the role of president of basketball operations. The team will immediately start the search to hire a coach to replace Stevens, with Lakers assistant Jason Kidd and former Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce rumored as potential candidates.
Both names are certainly intriguing candidates. Yet, if the Celtics’ mentality moving forward is “win Banner 18, or die trying,” as Stevens and majority owner Wyc Grousbeck agreed it would be, then Celtics fans believe there’s a better man for the gig.
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Fans Call for Kevin Garnett as Team’s Next Head Coach
Kevin Garnett may have no previous NBA coaching experience. Then again, neither did Steve Nash heading into this season, and he just led his Nets to a 4-1 series win over the Celtics.
After a disappointing .500 regular-season record and a first-round playoff exit, Bostonians are calling upon a culture change within the team’s organization, and they believe that Garnett is the man capable of leading the charge.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe took to Twitter to make his plea for the hiring.
Hire Kevin Garnett!
Jerry Thornton is clearly on board with the idea as well. The Barstool Sports analyst noted he’d typically be against such a hiring. However, in this case, his message is quite simple; “Do it.”
Who’s with me on Kevin Garnett as Celtics head coach? Sure, he has no experience. Yes, it’s stunt casting. The kind I normally hate. But Brooklyn isn’t going to have a free ride down the lane all series long on KG’s watch. Do it
The Pardon My Take podcast took a far more comical approach, calling on Michael Jordan for a bit of inspiration.
Kevin Garnett on the Celtics coaching staff seeing Kyrie step on lucky next season
Here’s a few examples of Celtics fans taking to social media to voice their support of Garnett potentially taking the helm in Boston:
Kevin Garnett as the new Celtics head coach is the only correct answer
kevin garnett to boston 🙏
Odds for Celtics’ Head Coaching Vacancy
Sportsline has released odds on the next Celtics head coach. While Garnett is nowhere to be found in these odds, there are a handful of noteworthy candidates; from a former Garnett teammate to a few college names and potentially the first female head coach in league history. Have a look:
- Sam Cassell +300
- Chauncey Billups +400
- Jay Larranaga +500
- Jason Kidd +700
- Becky Hammon +800
- Kenny Atkinson +900
- Jeff Van Gundy +1000
- Wes Unseld Jr. +1100
- Mark Jackson +1200
- Lloyd Pierce +1300
- Mike D’Antoni +1400
- Jarron Collins +1500
- Jay Wright +2500
- Juwan Howard +3000
- Rick Pitino +5000
While Garnett would undoubtedly bring the type of fiery persona to connect with the fan base and potentially spark a culture shift, his hiring appears to be nothing more than a pipedream at the moment.
Adam Kaufman, host of Celtics Beat, sees why fans may be clinging on to the idea of the one-time Celtics champion, or even the likes of Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins for that matter. With that said, he’s fairly adamant that such a hiring is not in the cards.
Understand why people are asking about Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce or Kendrick Perkins becoming the next #Celtics head coach. Ain’t gonna happen.
The more likely scenario may be Garnett taking a less prominent role on the staff, potentially as an assistant to a more likely candidate such as Mark Jackson or Chauncey Billups — a possibility that Celtics fans appear willing to get behind.
Hire Mark Jackson as Head Coach
get Kevin Garnett as Assistant Coach
Chauncey Billups as head coach.
Kevin Garnett as assistant coach.
Make Boston Basketball fun again.
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Fans Bang Table for Celtics Legend as Next Head Coach: ‘Make it Happen’