Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is only 35-years-old and is the youngest head coach in the NBA. He took over the team last year as the interim and was eventually promoted to head coach after a strong debut.

Mazzulla understands what it’s like to inherit a team and needing to work with pieces that are already in place. It’s fair to say that any young up and coming coach can learn from the way Mazzulla adjusted himself as a coach and as a person.

There’s another team in the area with a new coaching regime, as the New England Patriots hired Jerod Mayo to be their next head coach this season. He’s 37-years-old, tied for the youngest in the NFL with Sean McVay.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe asked Joe Mazzulla what his thoughts were on the Pats hiring Mayo if he had any advice for him as a young African American coach in this area.

“I love Jerod. The time I went over to go visit I spent in the linebacker room, the defensive room with him and Steve. Just his ability to think the game, I like the relationship he built with his linebackers and those DBs. Those film sessions were intentional but also built on relationships and you really see that. As far as advice… no really. He’s been around a long time, he’s coached here, he’s played so I don’t need to give him any of that. But he does have my support, I can’t wait to go over there and sit with him and just kind of learn from him.”

The teams in Boston are a close-knit group of people. They often visit each other at some point during their seasons and attend playoff games. We recently saw Mazzulla at a Patriots practice and we often see Bill Belichick at the TD Garden in the playoffs.

It sounds like Mazzulla and Mayo have a lot of the same philosophies when it comes to the team.

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