Three days after being swept out of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics reportedly have hired Doc Rivers as their new coach. The Boston Globe, citing unidentified sources close to the Celtics and Rivers, is reporting on its web site that Rivers - fired earlier this season as coach of the Orlando Magic - would be introduced at a news conference as early as Thursday. Rivers would be the third coach in three months for the once-proud Celtics, who went 36-46 this season and were swept by the Indiana Pacers. Interim coach John Carroll, who replaced Jim O'Brien in January, was let go Monday by Celtics president Danny Ainge, whose major revamping of the storied franchise continues. Rivers coached the Magic for four-plus seasons. The former NBA Coach of the Year was fired in November after Orlando got off to a 1-10 start and spent most of the rest of the season serving as the lead analyst for NBA games on ABC. A 12-year player who retired after the 1995-96 season, Rivers moved from TV to the sidelines in 1999, taking over a rebuilding Magic team. One of his players was guard Chucky Atkins, acquired by the Celtics in February. With infectious enthusiasm, Rivers guided the club to a surprising 41-41 mark, just missing the playoffs but earning Coach of the Year honors. The Magic signed superstars Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill in the summer of 2000 and appeared to have the look of a contender. But Hill's chronic ankle injuries prevented them from climbing more than a handful of games above .500. Orlando made the playoffs three straight years, exiting in the first round each time. The Magic blew a 3-1 lead to Detroit in the opening round last year, and this season's poor start spelled the end. The Celtics were 22-24 when O'Brien resigned over differences with Ainge, who has traded starters Antoine Walker, Eric Williams and Tony Battie since October, leaving swingman Paul Pierce as the team's lone star. Carroll lost 12 of his first 13 games and went 14-22 overall. The Celtics had the worst record of any playoff team in seven years and looked it, becoming just the second team in NBA history to lose all four games in as series by double digits. The Celtics are the second team in as many weeks to hire a new coach. O'Brien took over the Philadelphia 76ers eight days ago. --

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