For a while there it was looking like men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens couldn’t be pried away from Butler. After six seasons and consecutive NCAA title game appearances with the Bulldogs, Stevens had the opportunity to land more lucrative college positions with the most recent coming via UCLA this past year.
However it looks as though even Stevens has his price.
In a statement released on Butler University’s website, Stevens released a statement saying he’s accepted a job to become the new head coach of the Boston Celtics:
“Our family is thrilled for the opportunity given to us by the leadership of the Boston Celtics, but it is emotional to leave a place that we have called home for the past 13 years,” said Stevens.
“We truly love Butler University and Indianapolis, and are very thankful to have had the opportunity to celebrate so many wonderful things together. What makes Butler truly unique is the people that we have been so blessed to work with. When it comes time for our kids to look at schools, we will start with Butler University.” Stevens and his wife, Tracy, have a young son and daughter.
The Celtics also released a statement confirming the Stevens hire:
“Brad and I share a lot of the same values,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “Though he is young, I see Brad as a great leader who leads with impeccable character and a strong work ethic. His teams always play hard and execute on both ends of the court. Brad is a coach who has already enjoyed lots of success, and I look forward to working with him towards Banner 18.”
Stevens who takes over for Doc Rivers will certainly be in unchartered territory after spending the majority of his coaching career in the Horizon League of the NCAA. However it was during his time with Butler, a small private university in Indianapolis where he gained notoriety coaching the Bulldogs to NCAA Tournament title games in 2010 and 2011 while winning 166 games.
This is obviously an outside the box move for the Celtics while Stevens will certainly have his work cut out for him as Boston hits rebuild mode.