Brad Stevens to coach Celtics

[Aughnanure]

Go get Ben Howland Butler.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Good for Stevens.  They have a tough rebuilding job in Boston, recruiting wasn't going too well at Butler recently (this according to their own fans)...if he fails, he will get a high level job back in college.  Basically no risk for him in doing this.  If Butler failed in the Big East where he would have had to coach against high caliber talent every year (Butler did so-so in the A-10...4th or 5th if I recall and dominated the horrendous Horizon), it would be tougher for him to get to a better gig down the road.

So from a timing perspective, makes all the sense in the world.  Zero downside as failure in the NBA with a rebuilding NBA team will not tarnish him one iota, plus the money is rumored to be 4X what he is making now. TOTAL. NO. BRAINER.

[MarquetteDano]

Good for Stevens, bad for Big East, terrible for Butler.  This is a big blow.  I wish I would not have gone to this site before going out tonight.  Ugh.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Well the league better have been prepared for this outcome eventually. Sucks it's not even after a year or two.

well, it's a good thing that there wasn't a commissioner to prepare for marketing Brad Stevens.  See, chit works out.

[Sheriff]

Crean is solid at IU. They love him.

They can appreciate last year's historic performance.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323936404578577752033384718.html

[mugrack]

This is all Doc's fault

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

It's pretty clear he was unable to recover from last year's NCAA loss, foresaw a future of Warrior beatdowns in his NBE future and fled the conference. What a hairy wet cat!

[jsglow]

Nooooooooooooooooo. Very happy for Stevens.  Very sad for Butler.  I was so much looking forward to locking horns with Coach Stevens twice each year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

They can appreciate last year's historic performance.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323936404578577752033384718.html

The same performance that UNC and Duke had in previous years.  Ben Cohen and I had a very nice chat about his article.  He has said he may adjust some things based on "excellent points" provided.  Really, a pretty cool cat that was actually interested in hearing intelligently argued opinions.  

Last year's performance got them their first Big Ten outright title in 20+ years....that means something to many folks.

[Pakuni]

Rondo will most likely be gone.

Rookie coaches don't win power struggles with 27-year-old all-stars.

[Windyplayer]

A person on one of Butler's message boards summed it up well...

"7/1 - Butler's big day.
7/3 - Butler's worst day"

[Tums Festival]

Nevermind that the track record for college coaches being successful in the NBA is poor at best (Larry Brown being the exception), this move reminds me of the head-scratcher when Mike Montgomery left Stanford for Golden State. Since Golden State fired him, he hasn't been nearly as good with Cal as he was at Stanford.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nevermind that the track record for college coaches being successful in the NBA is poor at best (Larry Brown being the exception), this move reminds me of the head-scratcher when Mike Montgomery left Stanford for Golden State. Since Golden State fired him, he hasn't been nearly as good with Cal as he was at Stanford.

That's the beauty of it.  If he fails in Boston, it doesn't harm him one bit to get back into college coaching, yet he makes 4X what he does now for the next few years.

Plus, he doesn't take the potential hit of not being able to coach (rather recruit) in a major conference in the new Big East, one of the big complaints of Butler fans the last year or so).  Best of both worlds for him. 

[bilsu]

I think Stevens personally would of had a hard time leaving Butler for another college job. Going to the pros solves that problem. He is either successful there or comes back to college at a high major school. This could end up badly for MU. I do not know much about Chew's plans, but it is possible he would want the Butler job. The other possibility I would worry about is Barnes reading the writing on the wall at Texas  going to Butler. I do think Howland would be a good hire for Butler and that would also be good for MU.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Good for Stevens, bad for Big East, terrible for Butler.  This is a big blow.  I wish I would not have gone to this site before going out tonight.  Ugh.

Big +1! Was just about to head out the door. Wow!

[Tums Festival]

That's the beauty of it.  If he fails in Boston, it doesn't harm him one bit to get back into college coaching, yet he makes 4X what he does now for the next few years.

Plus, he doesn't take the potential hit of not being able to coach (rather recruit) in a major conference in the new Big East, one of the big complaints of Butler fans the last year or so).  Best of both worlds for him. 

There was talk not all that long ago of Stevens succeeding Coach K when he decided to retire. If he sucks with the Celtics, ala Pitino, maybe he can still land at Duke.

That being said, this is about the worst news that could've happened to the Big East.

[jsglow]

Hearing that there is some chance of a BU press conference yet tonight.  Don't know anything else.  I sincerely hope Butler lands a quality coach because their success helps all of us in the BEast.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Crazy. Bad bad bad for NBE.

I hope Butler does the same thing MU did when Crean bolted: hire a coach who can continue the success Stevens had.

Butler has had many great coached before Stevens and won before Stevens. It's about the "Bulter Way"

[jsglow]

Butler has had many great coached before Stevens and won before Stevens. It's about the "Bulter Way"

'Butler Way'. Concur.  Would be shocked if they went out and hired a Kevin O'Neill as an extreme example.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Dan Wetzel, one of my favorite writers.

"Sophisticated X and O and little interest in recruiting muck, Brad Stevens was natural for NBA jump"


That about captures it for me.  It's hard to simply X & O your way to the top in a conference with athletes.  You can do that in the Horizon, you can do it in the A-10 to some extent, much harder the higher up you go in a year long grind.  Certainly you can do it short term, but tough over many months.  The GM now gets to put the pieces in place for him as a coach and he can just go coach.

[jesmu84]

That's the beauty of it.  If he fails in Boston, it doesn't harm him one bit to get back into college coaching, yet he makes 4X what he does now for the next few years.

Plus, he doesn't take the potential hit of not being able to coach (rather recruit) in a major conference in the new Big East, one of the big complaints of Butler fans the last year or so).  Best of both worlds for him. 

Is it ironic that you aren't at all looking at possible repercussions for your alma mater and the conference they are in?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Is it ironic that you aren't at all looking at possible repercussions for your alma mater and the conference they are in?

I happen to think MU will be just fine and believe Butler is about the 5th or 6th best program in the new Big East (to prove that, most other programs would survive just fine with their head coach leaving but with Stevens leaving folks are jumping off the ledge).  Sorry, but it ain't all that in my opinion. Too many chicken littles here that think if Buzz leaves the world ends, if Stevens leaves the Big East is doomed, etc, etc.  Ye of little faith in Buzz and the Big East.

You and others can think there are major repercussions with this, I'll take another point of view.  MU will be fine.  Villanova will be fine, as will ST. John's, Creighton, Xavier, et al.  I'd love to have Butler be good and Stevens around, but he isn't so time to move on.  It would not surprise me at all to see Butler land a decent coach, it's not as if they were in the wilderness until 5 years ago, they've had some good teams in the past.

[martyconlonontherun]

Rookie coaches don't win power struggles with 27-year-old all-stars.

You should at least have some knowledge of a situation before you post. It has nothing to do with Stevens but rather them rebuilding and wanting picks for Rondo and allowing them to tank.

[Sheriff]

The same performance that UNC and Duke had in previous years.  Ben Cohen and I had a very nice chat about his article.  He has said he may adjust some things based on "excellent points" provided.  Really, a pretty cool cat that was actually interested in hearing intelligently argued opinions.  

Last year's performance got them their first Big Ten outright title in 20+ years....that means something to many folks.

Totally agree that the conference title was meaningful.

But it depends on the level of achievement you anticipate.  In the context of the article, where achievement was defined in terms of NCAA tournament performance, your point is neither excellent nor relevant.

[forgetful]

The same performance that UNC and Duke had in previous years.  Ben Cohen and I had a very nice chat about his article.  He has said he may adjust some things based on "excellent points" provided.  Really, a pretty cool cat that was actually interested in hearing intelligently argued opinions.  

Last year's performance got them their first Big Ten outright title in 20+ years....that means something to many folks.

You may be right that he enjoyed your conversation, however I have a feeling he went out for a drink with friends later and you were the butt of his joke.