Former Celtics Hopeful Joins Teams Coaching Staff

Mike Moser, Boston Celtics

Getty Mike Moser, Boston Celtics

For the second straight summer, the Boston Celtics have had to alter their coaching staff, and have announced the hiring of Mike Moser as a result.

Moser, 31, is a former Celtics Summer League player, having participated in the competition in 2014 before going on to have a basketball career overseas. Shortly after calling time on his basketball career, Moser became an assistant coach with the Oregon Ducks Women’s team.

“After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Moser joined the Boston Celtics Summer League team that same year, averaging 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2 assists, across 26.2 minutes a game. However, soon after he went overseas where he played for a few years” Sophie Weller wrote in a July 21 article for Masslive. 

Moser will likely be the only new coaching addition to join the Celtics this summer, as his arrival fills the void left by Will Hardy, who left Boston to become the new head coach of Utah Jazz.


Ainge Heaps Praise on Will Hardy

Will Hardy joined the Celtics with a glowing reputation around the NBA, and it was clear he was a surefire future head coach. However, it took former Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, to finally give the Celtics assistant his big break.

When speaking to the media following Hardy’s arrival in Salt Lake City, Ainge was quick to heap praise onto his new head coach and spoke glowingly about his commitment to player development – something the Jazz will be leaning on moving forwards, as they look to rebuild their roster.

“Will’s presence, his confidence, his knowledge, his basketball acumen … he’s a great relationship-builder,” Ainge said. “We put him through some exercises — basketball scouting reports, player development plans — and he seemed very, very qualified. … And on top of that, in his answers, he spoke my language,” Ainge said during Hardy’s introductory press conference.


Ime Udoka Has Earned Respect For Rookie Season

When the Celtics opted to hand Ime Udoka the regins last summer, it was certainly a bold move. Here was a team looking to contend for a championship, and a rookie head coach was being tasked with the challenge.

However, despite a slow start, Udoka stuck to his guns, and got Boston playing his brand of basketball – leading them to the NBA Finals at the first time of asking. Sure, the Celtics fell short of a championship by two games, as the Golden State Warriors eventually lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. But the improvements were clear for all to see. In fact, Udoka’s willingness to trust his team in the biggest moments earned him some praise from former Celtic Kendrick Perkins.

“This Boston Celtics team is real, coach Ime Udoka holds these guys accountable, he’s put together a hell of a game plan, he has his rotations down. He rolled with his bench in that fourth quarter last night.

Payton Pritchard played eight minutes in the fourth quarter, you talk about trust, game one of the finals, he played eight minutes in the fourth. I’m telling you, we don’t talk about Ime Udoka enough, and the phenomenal job he’s been doing, for his adjustments, and his rotations,” Perkins said during a June 3 episode of ESPN’s First Take. 

Hopefully, Hardy will find similar success with Utah, but it’s clear the Udoka knows the type of coaches he wants to work with, and Moser should fit in well with the current setup in Boston.

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