Doc Rivers goes back to the bench, hired to coach Boston Celtics

Jet, May 17, 2004

Doc Rivers' search to coach another NBA team ended when he was recently named coach of the Boston Celtics.

Rivers, 42, has worked with the NBA in some form for over 20 years. He played 13 seasons for the Hawks, Clippers, Knicks and Spurs. Rivers then retired in 1996 and worked as a TV analyst before becoming head coach in Orlando in 1999. In his first season, he was the NBA's coach of the year "after leading the team to a 500 record.

After posting a 171-168 record in five seasons with Orlando, Rivers was fired in November when the Magic opened the season with one win and 10 consecutive losses. Since then he's been working for ABC as an analyst. He'll keep that job through the NBA Finals.

Rivers says he welcomes the challenge of coaching the Celtics, who were swept from the first round of playoffs by Indiana. His goal is to get the franchise that amassed a record 16 NBA titles back to title contention.

And Danny Ainge, head of Celtics basketball operations, decided Rivers was the man for this job only a few hours after the position was open, but said he put a lot of thought into it.