Bruins’ Marco Sturm Creates Cool Dynamic With Boston Return

“Do you know what it’s like to actually play in Boston?”

It’s a question we’ve heard many coaches asked over the years, but it doesn’t exactly hit the same anymore, because… well, yeah, most of them did.

Marco Sturm was hired as the next head coach of the Boston Bruins on Thursday, joining a stable of new-age head coaches who have already spent significant parts of their careers in the region.

Mike Vrabel, of course, won three championships across an eight-year stint with the New England Patriots before returning earlier this year to become their head coach. Alex Cora has won championships as both a player and a coach with the Boston Red Sox. Joe Mazzulla never quite made it to the NBA, but his top assistant Sam Cassell did and won a championship playing for and coaching the Boston Celtics.

It’s a really cool dynamic, with Sturm, Cora, Vrabel and Cassell actually all overlapping together in 2008.

Boston’s dynastic run of success has primarily included guys who are considered life-long coaches like Bill Belichick, Claude Julien and Terry Francona. It’s still cool seeing former fan favorites elevate into the ultimate role in running franchises, though.

Will they be able to find the same success that Cora — who is weirdly the longest-tenured head coach in the region — did back in 2018?

We will have to wait and see.