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Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Invited Mike Vrabel to Celtics' Practice

Vrabel attended the Celtics' practice on Saturday.

Eva Geitheim

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla invited a special guest to the Auerbach Center for his team's practice on Saturday: New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel was hired as the Patriots next coach in January, becoming the newest hire among Boston's major professional sports teams. Mazzulla said that he does not know Vrabel well, but is interested in forming a brotherhood between the coaches of the city's four professional sports teams.

"The four people that have these jobs (in Boston), for however long they have it, there has to be a brotherhood there," Mazzulla told the media on Saturday. "We're all carrying a responsibility to compete at a high level and to bring championships to this city."

“It was great," Mazzulla said. "He obviously brings a championship perspective. Any time you can get together with guys that are in the same arena as we are, I think that's important."

Boston has been one of the most successful sports cities over the last 15 years. The Celtics are the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Red Sox won titles in 2013 and '18, and the Patriots won three Super Bowls in '14, '16 and '18. Though Vrabel is just starting as New England's head coach, he did win three Super Bowls as a player with the Patriots in the 2000s, a championship pedigree that made him a welcome hire for New England.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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