Coveted Celtics Coach Top Candidate for New Head Coaching Vacancy

The Boston Celtics are chasing a back-to-back title, and despite currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, they are the betting favorites to win it all. The reality in the NBA is that when teams find success, it comes with a price. The players and the coaching staff start to get poached and every other team tries to emulate the winning style.

Now that Joe Mazzulla was able to build an impossible-to-stop offensive system in Boston, his staff is getting a ton of attention. Celtics assistant Sam Cassell is among the most coveted coaches in basketball. In fact, he was recently identified as a leading candidate to take over the Florida State Seminoles head coaching opening for next season.

The Athletic's Brendan Marks revealed a list of candidates for the position after the program's long-time head coach Leonard Hamilton announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the college basketball season.

Sam Cassell, one of the best players in program history, is a natural candidate. He had his jersey retired by the program after leading them to an Elite Eight appearance in 1993.

"One of the most storied players in program history, Cassell would be the latest in a trend of NBA-to-college hires... Would Cassell want to go back to school at 55, and leave behind his current situation with the NBA’s best team?"

- Brendan Marks, The Athletic

Cassell has long been a head coaching candidate in the NBA. He has interviewed for multiple vacancies throughout his tenure as an assistant but was never able to make the jump. He has never worked in the collegiate ranks, but his experience and reputation would make him a fascinating hire. If he were able to prove himself as a head coach there, it could potentially facilitate his jump to head coaching in the NBA.

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