Celtics hire Jeff Van Gundy as senior consultant

The Boston Celtics hired former longtime head coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy as a senior consultant in their basketball operations group.

Van Gundy, 61, was let go by ESPN in a cost-cutting move in late June after 16 years with the network. He coached 11 seasons in the NBA, going 430-318 with the New York Knicks (1995-2002) and Houston Rockets (2003-07).

His teams went 44-44 in the playoffs, and he led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference championship in 1999. The San Antonio Spurs defeated New York in five games to win the NBA title.

Celtic coach Joe Mazzulla called the hire "awesome."

"Any time you get to add like high-character, high-level, professional people, I think it's a no-brainer and so fortunate enough that he's here, not just for the coaching staff, but for everybody," Mazzulla told reporters before practice Saturday.

Van Gundy will split his time between Boston and Maine, home to the Celtics' G League affiliate, MassLive reported.