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One of the hottest topics in the college basketball blogosphere recently has been the vacancy on the Indiana Hoosiers’ bench after the program opted to move on from head coach Archie Miller. With IU’s coaching search now in full-swing, a number of names have been floated as candidates, including that of Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Shortly after the Hoosiers made the change, college hoops legend Dick Vitale tweeted that the school should do everything in its power to bring Stevens into the fold. However, the Celtics coach was quick to squash the chatter that he could be a candidate to fill the opening.
On Friday, though, discussion of Stevens as a legitimate possibility received new life when Dave Dameshek fired off a tweet claiming that his hiring was imminent.
“Hearing from people who’d know former Butler coach Brad Stevens is gonna be announced as the new IU coach as soon as today,” he wrote. “Thus completing a circle started a few yrs ago when former Hoosier star Damon Bailey randomly walked into a 2-on-2 game in Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.”
In response, a number of people — including a noted Celtics insider — strongly refuted that anything was happening.
Media Members Dismiss Latest Rumor
Celtics Beat host Adam Kaufman was quick to address Dameshek’s tweet, doing his best to quell the notion that Stevens was Indiana-bound.
“Brad Stevens will be busy coaching against the Kings tonight,” he wrote in a tweet quoting the new report. “And coaching the #Celtics the next several years.”
He wasn’t the only one who was dismissive of the report. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman tweeted the following:
“For what it’s worth, regarding Brad Stevens to IU speculation: The Celtics just finished shootaround. Play the Kings tonight at 7:30. One source: ‘It was just a normal day. He didn’t seem any different,'” wrote Goodman. “Celtics sources will be beyond shocked if Stevens leaves for Indiana.”
On the other hand, the Celtics have struggled to keep pace with the best teams in the East this season. And Kaufman did note that Stevens has the “best poker face of maybe anyone I’ve ever seen.” So, there is that.
Bad Times in Bloomington
GettyIndiana Hoosiers coach Archie Miller reacts during a game against the Michigan State Spartans.
Miller, who played and coached under Herb Sendek before getting an opportunity to run his own program at Dayton, took over as head coach of the Hoosiers in 2017. He replaced Tom Crean, who had led the storied basketball school to three Sweet Sixteens before faltering in his final year.
Unfortunately, the program was unable to return to anything resembling its former glory under Miller. In his four seasons at the helm in Bloomington, he compiled a record of 67-58 and failed to make any appearances in the NCAA tournament.
It was a disappointing turn of events for a coach who had led Dayton to the Elite Eight in 2014 and earned four consecutive tournament bids.
While a move back to the college ranks seems unlikely at this juncture for Stevens, he does make a lot of sense as a candidate. In addition to his NBA credentials, he first rose to prominence in Indiana as the head coach at Butler, where he twice reached the National Championship Game.
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