Maine Celtics Announce Coaching Staff

PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Celtics announced today the coaching staff for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA G League season.

“I am elated to announce this coaching staff,” said Maine head coach Blaine Mueller. “Collectively, they bring extensive knowledge in player development, G League coaching experience, strong connections with the Boston Celtics organization, continuity in Maine, and professional playing experience. They are all selfless individuals fully dedicated to the development of our players both on and off the court, and will be great ambassadors to the Maine community.”

Like Mueller, Associate Head Coach John Little joins Maine from the Milwaukee Bucks organization, where he served as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd for the past three seasons. Prior to his work as a G League coach, Little served as the Video Coordinator for his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. After a four-year career at UNI, Little played nine seasons of professional basketball in Europe.

Cameroon native Steve Tchiengang makes the move from Boston to Maine, joining the Celtics as an Assistant Coach. For the past three seasons, Tchiengang has been working in Boston, most recently as a Player Development Coach. He was a four-year standout at Vanderbilt University, helping the Commodores to three NCAA Tournament appearances from 2009-12. He is the Founder and President of a nonprofit organization, Visionc Corp, which he started in 2022.

Assistant Coach Austin Vereen returns to Maine for a third season on the bench. After a prolific collegiate career at both VMI and Pacific, Vereen received a master’s degree in sports management, joining the Maine Celtics as a Player Development Coach in 2021.

Joining the Maine Celtics as Video Coordinator and Player Development Coach, Taaj Ridley brings 8 years of professional experience as a player, including one season in the NBA G League with Long Island. Ridley has coached the last two seasons as a graduate assistant at Penn State University, helping the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years in 2023.