Celtics assistant coaches Tony Dobbins and Tyler Lashbrook could both become NBA head coaches next season. Lashbrook is a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers head coach position, while Dobbins is in the mix for the Dallas Mavericks head coach position.
Dobbins has been with the Celtics since 2017 and is one of Joe Mazzulla’s four front-of-bench assistant coaches, while Lashbrook has been with the team since 2023 and works primarily on the offensive (and player development) side.
What Tony Dobbins brings to the Celtics
Tony Dobbins is
one of the Celtics’ longest-tenured assistants and an important member of the defensive team. He is a former professional basketball player who went undrafted after an illustrious career at Virginia Tech (1999-2000) and Richmond (2001-2004) as a defensive specialist. Dobbins spent a few years in the G League, but the majority of his 13-year pro career took place overseas, where he laced up for professional clubs in Italy, Greece, France, and Spain.
Dobbins has been a Celtics assistant coach since 2017, beginning in the film room and rising through the ranks over the past decade. Dobbins was the Celtics’ Summer League head coach in 2023. This past year, he was the assistant coach who worked most closely with Jayson Tatum as he rehabbed his Achilles injury.
“He’s one of the best people you’ll ever be around,” Jayson Tatum told CelticsBlog last year.
“I can’t thank him enough for his selflessness and just really being engaged with me every single day,” Tatum said after making his return from his Achilles injury.
Before that, Dobbins worked most closely as Jaylen Brown’s lead coach. He’s widely known as one of the most patient and even-keeled people on the Celtics’ sidelines.
“Tony is always keeping everybody level-headed – reminding me, and reminding our team just to breathe,” Brown said in February. “Managing the emotions of the game is what he speaks to a lot, because the better players — the better professionals — can manage their stress levels and their emotions during the game, so that they can see the game clearly.”
Marc Stein reported on Thursday that the Mavericks are expected to interview a dozen or so prospects to replace Jason Kidd as head coach. In addition to Dobbins, that list includes Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Houston Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, and Miami consultant
Noah LaRoche.
What Tyler Lashbrook brings to the Celtics
Tyler Lashbrook is one of the lead voices in the Celtics’ offense team and a key part of the team’s player development. He was the head coach of the Maine Celtics during the 2024-2025 season before returning to the parent club this year.
Before joining the Celtics in 2023, Lashbrook was with the Philadelphia 76ers since 2014. He began as an intern in the film room and worked his way to becoming a video coordinator and player development coach.
Lashbrook was a player development coach in Boston during the championship season before becoming a head coach in the G League for the first time last year.
Lashbrook is reportedly one of three finalists for the Trail Blazers head coach position, a list that also includes interim head coach Tiago Splitter and longtime Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, per Marc Stein.
If either Dobbins or Lashbrook is selected for their respective head coach roles, they’ll become the latest in a long line of former Celtics assistants to land head coach positions. Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee and Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy were both recently Celtics assistants, while Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was the Celtics’ head coach in 2022.
