Today in Boston Celtics history: Red Auerbach hired as coach; Pierce dagger vs. Harrington

Today in Boston Celtics history, Arnold "Red" Auerbach, the former head coach of the (defunct) Washington Capitals and the (then) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks), was appointed head coach of the Boston Celtics in 1950.

Auerbach continued to coach the Celtics for a total of 16 seasons, during which he won nine championships, compiling a regular season record of 795 wins and 397 losses, alongside a postseason record of 90 wins and 58 losses (or, as winning percentages of .667 and .608, respectively), making him the most successful coach in the history of the NBA. In 1966, Red stepped down as head coach, appointing Hall of Fame player-coach Bill Russell, while he remained the team's general manager well into the 1980s.

He was awarded the Coach of the Year award for the 1964-65 NBA season, inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1969, and was named a top-10 coach in league history in the 1996-97 season.

Flowers are placed on the statue of legendary Boston Celtics coach Arnold "Red" Auerbach in Boston, Massachusetts October 29, 2006. Boston remembered Auerbach on Sunday for his competitive fire and for helping black players and coaches break the sport's color barrier. Auerbach, who died at 89 on Saturday near his home in Washington, coached the Boston Celtics basketball team during a period in the 1950s and 1960s when it racked up a record eight-straight National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES)