The Celtics got some tips Monday at practice from an unlikely source in Tom Thibodeau, who helped eliminate them from the playoffs last season before he was fired as head coach of the New York Knicks.

Thibodeau led the Knicks to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but was fired after New York was swept in four games by the Indiana Pacers.

On Monday, he was at Celtics practice as a guest of head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“He’s obviously been one of the best coaches around for a long time. Worked here. Won a championship here. Just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better, so there’s a lot of respect for him,” Mazzulla said.

Thibodeau was an assistant coach in Boston for three seasons, starting with the team’s championship run in 2007-2008.

Last year, Thibodeau’s Knicks surprised many in basketball when they prevented the Celtics from earning a second straight title by eliminating Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown told reporters that the time the team spent with Thibodeau at practice was valuable.

“We lost last year. It stung losing to the Knicks,” Brown said. “So to have Thibs here at our practice and explaining some of the things that he saw to help them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that. Shoutout to Thibs for being here today.”

The Celtics open their season at home Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston then travels to take on Thibodeau’s former team at Madison Square Garden as the Celtics and Knicks play Friday night.

So far, the Patriots’ decision to hire Mike Vrabel has paid off.

After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, New England appears to be experiencing a football renaissance, sitting atop the AFC East at 5-2.

During the Patriots’ 31-13 blowout win over the Titans, CBS analyst Charles Davis broke down why other teams will be looking for a coach like Vrabel during future searches.

““As we start coaching searches in the NFL, and we’re gonna have a few more,” Davis said. “I believe people are going to use Mike Vrabel as a model about what they’re looking for in their next head football coach.

“With an organization, he pulls together everyone, right? Yes, he’s known as a defensive coach. I get that,” Davis added. “But the relationship he’s forged with his quarterback, Drake Maye, who’s playing at a really high level, lets you know that he’s locked in on everything on this team, special teams, offense, defense, the whole deal.”

New England, of course, was only able to hire Vrabel because the Titans decided to fire him after the 2023 season. Vrabel spent a year as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, whom New England will face at Gillette Stadium next week, before returning to the franchise he won three Super Bowls with as a player.

Vrabel played linebacker for the Patriots, but he has shown an ability to connect with players in all three phases of the game. He has a hands on approach which involves him wearing a practice jersey at times during practice. He often refers to players, such as Stefon Diggs, by nicknames in press conferences.

Defense is Vrabel’s forte, and he inherited a team that was already pretty good at stopping the run. Their pass-defense is a work in progress. But, the biggest transformation has taken place on offense where Maye, Diggs, and Josh McDaniels have helped revive a once-dead down field passing attack.

The quick turnaround suggests that Vrabel’s approach works beyond the areas where he’s most comfortable with, Davis said.

“He has his hands on everything, every part of the organization and the pulse,” Davis said. “He’s like the antidote to all the offensive guys that we talk about. We use the word presence a lot with coaches. Does anyone have more presence than Mike Vrabel? He’s got it.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.