▁Championship ▁appearances ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁coach ▁at ▁La f ay ette ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁helped ▁guide ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁a ▁Patri ot ▁League ▁Title ▁and ▁an ▁NCAA ▁Tournament ▁appearance . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁assistant ▁coach ▁at ▁Tow son ▁University . ▁ ▁Houston ▁Rock ets ▁During ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Long ab ardi ▁helped ▁coach ▁the ▁N AC EL ▁Open ▁Do or ▁College ▁All - Star ▁Team ▁with ▁Bill ▁Van ▁G und y , ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁both ▁Stan ▁Van ▁G und y ▁and ▁Jeff ▁Van ▁G und y . ▁When ▁Jeff ▁Van ▁G und y ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁head ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁Houston ▁Rock ets ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁h ired ▁Long ab ardi ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁staff . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁year ▁in ▁Houston , ▁he ▁was ▁as ▁the ▁assistant ▁video ▁coordin ator ▁and ▁one ▁year ▁later ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁lead ▁video ▁coordin ator . ▁ ▁Boston ▁C elt ics ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Long ab ardi ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁Boston ▁C elt ics ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁coach . ▁He ▁worked ▁under ▁Doc ▁R ivers ▁and ▁Tom ▁Th ib ode au . ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁season ▁with ▁the ▁C elt ics , ▁the ▁team ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁NBA