Joe Mazzulla could always count on Billy Hahn – whether it was at West Virginia as a player under him or as he embarked on a coaching career after – and there were so many messages that were instilled as he ultimately became the head coach of the Celtics.
“A lot that I probably can’t repeat,” Mazzulla said.
But they will certainly carry on. Hahn – a college basketball coach for more than 40 years, including 11 seasons as an assistant on Bob Huggins’ staff at West Virginia – died on Friday at 69, his family confirmed. Mazzulla played for Hahn with the Mountaineers from 2006-11 – which included an appearance in the 2010 Final Four – and his impact on the former point guard turned NBA head coach was long-lasting.
“He was great,” Mazzulla said before the Celtics played the Raptors on Friday. “I had him for four years in college. And he was just a guy that brought a level of energy and mindset, the entire time no matter what was going on. He was a player’s coach. He was there for me whenever I needed him, on and off the court, and he just had a loyalty and a work ethic about him, and a personality that you just wanted to be around him. …
“So it’s definitely somebody we’re gonna miss but definitely somebody that I’m grateful that I’ve had in my life that has helped me get to where I am.”
Why Joe Mazzulla, molded by West Virginia, was destined to become Celtics’ head coach
Even after his West Virginia playing career, Mazzulla maintained a close relationship with Hahn, who was also on Gary Williams’ staff at Maryland for 12 seasons. In an interview with the Herald in October, Hahn said he still regularly communicated with Mazzulla, and said they became even closer after he left Morgantown. He was filled with pride when Mazzulla was promoted as the Celtics’ head coach prior to this season.
Hahn shared some advice he offered Mazzulla as he became a first-time NBA head coach.
“Just be Joe Mazzulla,” Hahn told the Herald. “I said, just be yourself and be nobody else. Being Joe Mazzulla got you where you are today. Don’t change. Just be yourself.”
Mazzulla said he learned a lot from Hahn.
“To me, it was just more of a perspective that he brought, because by the time I got to him at West Virginia, he had been at Maryland for a long time where he worked with a lot of great players and was always around Gary Williams and was a lot of great coaches, and he had been a head coach and, obviously, he had some issues and so he just had a great perspective on how basketball was,” Mazzulla said. “His big thing was like the basketball gods always reward you. That was what he always said and so I kind of always took that with me. But he constantly talked about that.”