Former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers to reportedly retire from coaching

September 22, 2026

Former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers is stepping away from that role to retire from the sport in such a capacity, according to recent reporting from Reuters. Instead, Rivers will reportedly continue with his broadcasting work, which has done intermittently over the last two-and-a-half decades.

Per Reuters, Rivers will work as a broadcaster with NBC Sports for the coming 2026-27 NBA regular season, capping a more tan 40-year career as a player or coach in the NBA. “I honestly can say I’m absolutely retired,” said the former Celtics coach, who won a title with Boston in 2008. “I had a long run.”

“It ended up in the (Naismith Memorial Basketball) Hall of Fame (earlier this summer), and I am so thankful that I was ⁠able to coach and play as long as I did.”

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers (R) is dunked with Gatorade by player Paul Pierce (L) as they celebrated their win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals basketball championship in Boston, June 17, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES)

“For the first time, I can focus on giving TV my 100 percent attention, which I’m really looking forward to,” said the former Boston coach. Rivers will be broadcasting alongside his son Austin, a former NBA player in his own right and also (briefly) a member of the Celtics organization via a trade that never saw him suit up for Boston before he was on the move again.

The elder Rivers coached the Celtics from 2004 to 2013 in between stints in that role with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, the longest stop of his hall of fame coaching career.