ADVERTISEMENT

If Cal was to ever leave would Stevens from the Celtics be a candidate

Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

I would say he would be on the short list, yes. Very good coach.
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

How would you rate him as a recruiter and Xs and Os?
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

who really knows?
there is a lot of good young coaches
UK would look at the cream-of-the-crop and go from there

UK would look for a coach that could handle the pressure of being on the biggest stage, can recruit, is a very good X's and O's coach
maybe in that exact order
 
Originally posted by bookerfan66:

It's hard to see him leaving the Celtics.He is doing a great job.
Exactly, he did a terrific job with the Celtics this year even after they dumped what were considered their two top players during the season. He has a boatload of future draft picks (or trade bait) so I see him and the Celtics doing very well and being together for a long time to come.
 
Stevens isn't leaving. I follow the NBA more than I do college now days. What Stevens has done with the Celtics this year is nothing shorter than remarkable. Celtics traded their best "two players" and since the allstar break they had the 4th best record in the league. He pretty much made the playoffs with a well not so good squad which is testament to how good of a coach he is AND how weak the Eastern conference is.
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

His NBA experience would now make him an even better recruiter, he would probably kill it if he returns to the college game at a major school
 
He wouldn't leave the Celtics for any college job. He's a perfect fit for where he's at, he and assistant GM Mike Zarren seem to be close and have the same vision for the Celtics. He's a really good coach and the Celtics are lucky to have him.
 
I doubt he returns to CBB anytime soon. I think he's a rising star in the NBA. Says he loves The League.
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

Stevens is a much hotter coach than Calipari right now, in the pro or college setting. He dropped jaws with what the Celtics did this year ... and now you're hearing terms like "natural fit for the pro game" and "NBA lifer" to describe him.

Would be incredible if we could pull it off, but I'd guess the odds are long.
 
He's a good coach. I'm glad he's doing so well in the NBA, and I hope he stays there. I previously thought that if things didn't go so well, he would be closer to Coach K's retirement timeline... and end up at Dook.
 
When Cal leaves, the U.K. administration should throw as much money and other benefits at Brad Stevens as is necessary to get him to become the head basketball coach at Kentucky. And, I think he would do it I think he's making the money that he needs right now, with the Celtics, for financial security, and it gave him a reasonable and comfortable exit from Butler. But, IMHO Stevens is a college coach at heart, and he's from Indiana.

I just hope we get a chance at Stevens before Duke does.
 
Don't hold your breath. Stevens is the hottest coach in the NBA right now. What he did this year with the Celtics is almost unbelievable. Boston teams like long-term coaches and GMs. I think Danny Ainge will do whatever it takes to keep Stevens.
 
Just making the playoffs wont be enough for Celtic nation. Its good that they are in the playoffs, however the organization will want more and for him to build on his success this year. Problem is, they wont be able to attract big name free agents to Boston to get them championship competitive. Just look at that roster, NOT good! For him/Boston to continue to have success, they will be dependent on the draft. Maybe they will luck up and get a Durant or A. Davis. Just think if Pitino had gotten Duncan? Maybe Pitino is still in Boston. Look what Popovich has done with him instead.

I have always heard this statement about professional coaches. "Coaches are hired to be fired"
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate


Originally posted by mebeblue2:
who really knows?
there is a lot of good young coaches
UK would look at the cream-of-the-crop and go from there

UK would look for a coach that could handle the pressure of being on the biggest stage, can recruit, is a very good X's and O's coach
maybe in that exact order
Brad Stevens would be Top of all great young coaches.
Brad Stevens is coaching Boston Celtics. Historically speaking one of the legendary basketball team in NBA. Top 2.
Brad Stevens is a successful NBA Coach, therefore would be great recruiter.
Brad Stevens is winning because he is a great X's and O's coach.

I think he would be one coach out there can, if he replaced Cal, there would be little dip. I think most every other coach will have HUGE drop in performance.
 
Stevens will never leave the NBA, what he's done getting that roster to the playoffs is ABSURD, he is coaching at one of the two most storied franchises in NBA history with an insane fanbase, and he does not have to recruit either, he would an an absolute fool to ever leave the NBA,

We should hope for Gregg Marshall to replace Cal if Cal decides he wants to leave at some point
 
Re: If Cal was to ever leave would Stephens from the Celtics be a candidate

Originally posted by WildMoon:

Originally posted by mebeblue2:
who really knows?
there is a lot of good young coaches
UK would look at the cream-of-the-crop and go from there

UK would look for a coach that could handle the pressure of being on the biggest stage, can recruit, is a very good X's and O's coach
maybe in that exact order
Brad Stevens would be Top of all great young coaches.
Brad Stevens is coaching Boston Celtics. Historically speaking one of the legendary basketball team in NBA. Top 2.
Brad Stevens is a successful NBA Coach, therefore would be great recruiter.
Brad Stevens is winning because he is a great X's and O's coach.

I think he would be one coach out there can, if he replaced Cal, there would be little dip. I think most every other coach will have HUGE drop in performance.
i agree with you that he fits the criteria
but as others have stated, will he ever return to the college game
unless his career takes a huge pitfall, i don't think he returns until maybe he is around the age of Larry Brown and just wants to keep coaching
 
Said this before, I'll say it again- when Cal leaves, UK should make a "Godfather of college basketball" offer to Stevens. He's the obvious guy, now that he has major NBA cred. I think there's little chance of him leaving the NBA, as I think he's decided he'd rather be Gregg Popovich than Mike Krzyzewski, but you never know until you ask.

I wasn't as high on him as a lot of people when he was at Butler, because I thought there was a pretty large fluke element to what he did (Butler won 5 NCAA Tournament games- out of 10 wins total- by less than 5 points in 2010 and 2011). But now, with what he's doing in the NBA? He's the #1 coach in the world under 45 years old (and he's not even 40 yet).
 
Stevens is not going anywhere. He signed on to oversee a long term rebuilding plan with the Celtics and he will stick it out.

A plan, btw, that is right on course. He did a tremendous job getting that Celtic team to overachieve this year. With another coach, that piss poor Celtic roster might be down there with Sixers and T-Wolves, but instead Stevens somehow has them as a playoff 7th seed.
 
Stevens is easily the most attractive option if Cal leave after5 years or so. He may have won an NBA title by then and will want to return to the college environment. Money won't be a driver of the decision. It will be league fatigue and the chance to win NCAA rings.
He can coach for a fact. With any luck at all, the Celts will be a strong team in 3 years. The other factor here in addition to draft choices is the league cap space under the new TV contract. It will be huge permitting Boston to pick up some desirable bench talent among those who want to play for a good coach on a winning team in a great town.
 
i got thinking about it and i thought of something that can give all of us a nugget of hope

there was a time that Pitino was the hottest young coach in the NBA and would never return to the college game
UK hired him in his prime (ul got him after he was a shell of his former self)
 
Originally posted by cacats:
It he goes back to college, it will be duke.
I've seen many posters say this here, but I have NO idea why. Stevens has no connection to Duke whatsoever, and to my knowledge, has never once ever said a word about the Duke job. Why do you think that?
 
Agree with others, he's really made a name for himself at the pro level, isn't likely to go anywhere.

Larger point is this: even if he was looking to re-enter the college game, not sure this would be the place. Like it or not, the passion of the UK fan base comes at a price. That coin has passion on one side, crazy on the other. Just the way we're perceived, righteous or not. My guess is our list, perhaps different from some other top flight programs - and there are really only 3 others in our class IMO - is different. It's not just "these are the best coaches in the country". It's "these are the best coaches who could handle the expectations and fishbowl." Stevens doesn't strike me as someone who'd dig that gig.....
 
All it will take is a couple of seasons of struggle in the NBA and any franchise will can their coach in a heartbeat. He's hot now in Boston, but can he extend that success out to when Cal steps aside in a few years? Who knows? History says "most" coaches struggle sooner or later in the league.

Remember where Pitino came from when we hired him??
 
He would be on the short list...but barring disaster over the next 2-3 years in Boston, I don't know that Stevens is coming back...

If he was coaching Milwaukee or Memphis, I would say yeah sure he would probably look to come back to college if a true blue blood gave him a call...

but he's coaching the Boston Celtics, and unless he royally f***s something up...there would be no reason for him to leave...

Boston is young and rebuilding, and they have a lot of assets to work with over the next few seasons...they're in the playoffs now, and really are a piece or two away from being legit contenders in the east...

If Stevens does well with them and gets them back in the hunt, he'll be at the top...chasing titles in Boston is the pinnacle of sports...no one could lure him away with prestige and money...he'd have it all as the man in title town u.s.a. ...

also...if Stevens ever had an interest in coming back to college...I could honestly see him going back to Butler...Boston was about the only opportunity that could get him to leave...I don't know for sure that he would have left for another college job, he loved Butler, was happy there, was successful, etc...
 
There are not many guys who get the opportunity he has at his age, he has a chance to become Phil Jackson like, and it's incredible what he's done so far! Plus he is the likely heir to USA basketball, the man metaphorically has the basketball world at his fingertips right now, and going back to college would be a downgrade for him personally, unless it's many many years in the future, and Kentucky may have possibly had 3-4 more coaches since then, or maybe not, who knows really?
 
Originally posted by UK90:
Originally posted by cacats:
It he goes back to college, it will be duke.
I've seen many posters say this here, but I have NO idea why. Stevens has no connection to Duke whatsoever, and to my knowledge, has never once ever said a word about the Duke job. Why do you think that?
Not a hugest thing, but there are some meaningful second-degree connections. Stevens and K are both huge on analytics, and Stevens analytics guy with the Celtics is a Duke alum.

I think a lot of it is the fact Stevens just reminds people of a younger Coach K.
 
Originally posted by ORCAT:

Originally posted by bookerfan66:

It's hard to see him leaving the Celtics.He is doing a great job.
Exactly, he did a terrific job with the Celtics this year even after they dumped what were considered their two top players during the season. He has a boatload of future draft picks (or trade bait) so I see him and the Celtics doing very well and being together for a long time to come.
I am pleasently surprised with his work on the Celtics (only Boston team I like). But still, it's a Boston team, and that fan market is tough to deal with, but they get overshadowed by an even more "What have you done for me today?" market in New York. Is Brad Stevens doing a good enough job with the Celtics to still be there in 5 years? I'm not so sure. That's a storied franchise and their fans won't put up with barely making the playoffs for long.

Don't forget, It's still the East, and the Atlantic Division is putrid. Boston finished UNDER .500 but got extra "gimme" wins playing in the Atlantic division. They would not have a 12-4 divisional record in any of the other 5 divisions. Not to mention they are still going to get bounced in the first round.

I think he needs a bit more success to have a long career with the Celtics. Don't see Celtics putting up with anything less than 500 win seasons for long.
 
I'm sure Stevens would do a great job at UK if it came to that. I would love to see it - can imagine the heads of a million Hoosiers exploding at the announcement!
 
I would love to see him at UK. I like the way he coaches and I like his sideline demeanor.
 
If anyone knows anything about Brad Stevens it is he is a lifelong IU fan. He has told stories of setting in front of his radio as a kid listening to the games. He is as much a IU fan as we are UK fans. For that reason I could see him potentially coming back to college one day when the opportunity and challenge is right. And that would be to bring the IU program back. And because of him being such a huge IU fan I don't ever see him being a Kentucky coach.
 
Just supporting what a few others have said...there is zero point zero chance he comes here right now.

Danny Ainge loves him, he's doing a tremendous job and has the team at least a year or 2 ahead of schedule in regards to the rebuilding. Maybe in 3 years he's open to consideration but not now.
 
He would be my first choice. I think he would listen to the offer, just because it's Kentucky, the number 1 program in the history of basketball.
 
Boston hired him expecting a few awful seasons, and the guy is already winning. He's a cult figure up there already among that fanbase, and they're a loyal bunch.

His talent is obvious, and even if the Celtics had a few bad seasons, it would be clear it wasn't due to his inability to coach.

IF for some reason he lost his allure in Boston, he'd be a hot candidate for other pro jobs, and he appears to like and be well suited for the NBA life. He'd have his choice of the pro jobs before he'd consider college again.

All that said, if we ever need a coach, whoever is the AD should absolutely make him turn down a 10-12 million dollar deal. Colleges basically print money, especially programs like UK Basketball, and if the difference between him saying no and yes is the gap between 8 and 12, bridge that gap.
 
Originally posted by W_Heisenberg:
Just supporting what a few others have said...there is zero point zero chance he comes here right now.
We don't need/want him to come here right now.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT