Sixers Adding Longtime Celtics Assistant to Coaching Staff

Celtics-Bench

Getty The Boston Celtics bench during a game in January.

The Philadelphia 76ers are adding a new assistant coach to their bench, and it’s somebody that lead man Doc Rivers will be very familiar with.

According to multiple reports, longtime Boston Celtics assistant Jamie Young will be joining the organization and reuniting with Rivers, who he spent nine seasons with in Boston. Young had been with the Celtics for 21 years, serving as a video coordinator from 2000 to 2007, an advance scout from 2007 to 2011 and an assistant coach from 2011 to 2021.

Rivers joined the Celtics as the head coach prior to the 2004-2005 season and stayed with the club through the 2012-2013 campaign.

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The Athletic‘s Derek Bodner and Jared Weiss first reported the news late Wednesday night, with Bodner tweeting “Longtime Celtics assistant coach Jamie Young is reuniting with Doc Rivers on the Sixers’ staff, sources tell @JaredWeissNBA and me. Young was one of the longest serving coaches in Celtics history, spending 21 years with the franchise.”


Which Coaches Are Filling out the Sixers’ Bench Next to Doc?

Sixers-Bench

GettyThe Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff during a game in February.

With the intense scrutiny over Ben Simmons’ performance in crunch time in the playoffs – and ensuing endless trade rumors – some may have forgotten that there were actually some calls for Rivers to get fired in the immediate aftermath of the Sixers’ Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the Atlanta Hawks nearly two months ago. It didn’t help that the Sixers had held a 2-1 series advantage before choking away games four and five.

The rumors of Rivers’ Philly exit quickly fizzled out and Simmons was fully established as public enemy number one.

While nothing is finalized yet, it appears that alongside Rivers and Young this upcoming season, the Sixers can expect to see familiar faces on the bench. After landing one interview for the then-vacant head coaching post with the Washington Wizards, Sam Cassell ultimately wasn’t offered the gig and has since returned to Philadelphia.

Other assistants that are set to return include Dan Burke, Dave Joerger and Brian Adams.


Who Left the Team, and Which Former Sixers Assistants Now Have Lead Gigs?

Doc-Rivers-Celtics2

GettyBoston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers during a game in 2013.

While Young will be joining the fold, it was reported in late July that assistant Popeye Jones would be leaving the 76ers for a spot on head coach Michael Malone’s bench with the Denver Nuggets. Jones was with the Sixers staff for just one season.

It’s also been a busy offseason for guys with past Sixers’ ties, as a couple have landed lead coaching gigs. In late June, Ime Udoka was tabbed as the newest head coach of the Celtics.

Udoka was an assistant under Brett Brown during the 2019-2020 season. Then in July, former Sixers guard Willie Green was chosen to be the newest head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The schedule for the upcoming regular season has yet to be released, but Philly fans will likely be keeping their eyes peeled if the team gets a chance to face New Orleans, and will surely be anticipating the multiple meetings with the Celtics.

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