On this day: Celtics fire Tommy Heinsohn as coach, hire Tom Sanders

On this day in 1978, the Boston Celtics fired iconic head coach Tommy Heinsohn, and hired Celtic champ Tom Sanders to replace him in that role.

On this day in 1978, the Boston Celtics fired then-head coach and former champion forward Tommy Heinsohn.

Heinsohn had began coaching the team after a stint as a broadcaster calling games for local station WKBG, which he had been doing for three seasons after retiring as one of the most decorated players in NBA history in 1965, winning eight titles and a host of other honors. The Holy Cross product was similarly successful as a coach early on, winning the league’s Coach of the Year honors in 1973 and a pair of titles in 1974 and 1976, as well as serving as the head coach of the East in All-Star games between 1972 and 1974, and again in 1976.