Danny Ainge Resigning as Celtics GM, Brad Stevens Moving From Head Coach to Front Office Role

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Danny Ainge is officially resigning from his role as Celtics President. With the move, coach Brad Stevens will transition from his role as a head coach into the new President of Basketball Operations.

Brad Stevens is moving into the front office on a full-time role, and Celtics are expected to start a search for a new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Celtics staff and coaches have been informed of the changes. https://t.co/yPf6ERS6NK

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 2, 2021

Ainge has remained as the Celtics GM since 2003, while Stevens took over the head coaching role since the 2013-14 season. As mentioned in a previous article, Ainge helped oversee many major moves within the Celtics organization. He helped organize the 2008 championship team, as well as drafting star players such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Stevens led the Celtics to three of the last four Eastern Conference Championships before this season. He made the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons he spent coaching the Celtics.

With the transition, Stevens is expected to help lead the search for a new head coach. He will move into the full-time front office role and the search for a new coach will begin immediately.

Ainge had been contemplating the idea of leaving his post with the Celtics for several months. He spoke with ownership about possible succession plans and Stevens became the franchise’s top choice.

Celtics players were informed last night about the potential move. Coaches and staff have also been made aware of the changes.

The idea of changes in the front office has been swirling for months as the Celtics finished with their worst regular-season record since the 2014-15 season. It also marked the first year the Celtics failed to make it past the first round since 2015-16.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Stevens has been described as “worn down” with coaching since The Bubble. He welcomed the move to the front office.

With Stevens as a part of the front office, Ainge is expected to pursue opportunities with other teams around the league. Boston’s search for a new head coach will be the priority this offseason.

All sources vis Adrian Wojnarowski, Shams Charania, and Chris Haynes.