Brad Stevens contemplating a return to college?

Submitted by Maizen on

This is a few months old. But given the Beilein hotseat talk this would be my choice to replace him. Word is he could be enticed back to college.

The first bit of Boston Celtics news is just a few days away. With Celtics Media coming up on September 25th, the Celtics Beat Podcast will give you your fix until then. This week on the show, Larry H. Russell brings on Gary Tanguay of Comcast SportsNet New England.

The future of Brad Stevens has been the center of attention for the Celtics the past few weeks. It’s been said that if the Celtics aren’t competing soon he could be gone, and Tanguay said it as well.

“I just think that Brad is about winning,” Tanguay said “and I think it is difficult for him going through a rebuilding project without the light at the end of the tunnel. With Doc I understand, being an NBA guy the ups and downs”

Larry talks about a story when he was caddying for an owner of the Celtics, and he brought up the idea of the Stevens leaving the Celtics, and the higher up scoffed at the idea saying Stevens would never leave the Celtics.

Wake up and smell the coffee,” Tanguay said “he’s about winning .. they’ve gotta keep the coach happy.”

Would Stevens leave at the end of his contract?

“At the end of the day he may go back to college,” Tanguay said “because it’s going to be really hard to get that premiere player before his contract is up.”

Then there are these comments he gave earleir this year:

"You know I liked recruiting. Because we cast a pretty small net. We went after guys that would fit our program and would do well in the classroom at Butler and fit our system, and obviously, were really good players. So, that part, you get to know guys. You get to spend time with them. That's where in the NBA, you gotta coach a guy you met 20 minutes ago, tomorrow. You don't know how they tick. They don't know how you do things. When you recruit a kid from 15-16 and he shows up on your campus at 18, they should know you pretty well and know what they're getting themselves into. That makes it a lot more challenging when you're coaching in this league. But it's fun coachiing in the NBA. It's fun coaching in college. I could coach anywhere and have fun."

Could be time to back up the money truck.

MGoBoard

BPocern

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:16 PM ^

Dream on, I could see him at a UNC, Kansas, Duke type (not saying any of those will open anytime soon) highly doubt he'd leave the NBA for Michigan, although it'd be awesome.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 03/12/2011

MGoPoints: 1122

Maizen

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:31 PM ^

I'd venture to guess based on the responses in this thread the posters responding are very young because Michigan basketball used to be a powerhouse in the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

Joined: 08/15/2015

MGoPoints: -99993347

Maizen

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:28 PM ^

It's funny how people forget Rick Pitino agreed to take this job when the program was in much worse shape than it is now. The money, resources, facilties, and proximity to talent are all things big time coaches will value. Does anyone really disagree with that?

Joined: 08/15/2015

MGoPoints: -99993347

BornSinner

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:30 PM ^

Rick Pitino was coming off 3 straight shitty no-playoff seasons from the NBA. Brad Stevens is on the upswing. 

Not comparable unless you're talking about the year 2019 or some shit. But by then I figure Beilein will be gone anyway. 

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 14672

Maizen

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:33 PM ^

Rick Pitino was also a national championship winning coach who had taken multiple programs to the Final 4. No different than Nick Saban going to Bama. It was a huge coup at the time if it had panned out.

Joined: 08/15/2015

MGoPoints: -99993347

BornSinner

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:38 PM ^

The only reason Pitino even considered Michigan or Louisville for that matter was due to his NBA flameout. 

You think Saban, Pitino, Petrino, Spurrier etc. come back if they don't suck in the big leagues? 

Hence why this is not comparable. Stevens is still a very young coach, and he's already a top 5 coach in the NBA. 

Hiring him is impossible right now. Maybe in 2019 if he flames out like those guys. 

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 14672

turd ferguson

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:37 PM ^

It's a top 25 job, and probably better than that, but the Michigan basketball job isn't UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, etc.  Any coach coming to Michigan now would know, with absolute certainty, that his program is the AD's #2 priority and he'll play second fiddle to Harbaugh.  Some coaches are probably fine with that, but it's a different job from Michigan football, where we apparently had NFL coaches lining up to come last year.

Joined: 12/09/2009

MGoPoints: 26493

Wolverheel

March 3rd, 2016 at 2:02 AM ^

Holy fuck. Beilein has missed the tourney exactly once in the past 5 years, in a season in which his 2 best players were injured for the majority of conference play. Now, despite extremely similar circumstances to last year, we are STILL on the right side of the bubble according to most analysts. It's amazing how pessimistic you are. You do realize there's something between "competing every year for a natty" and "FIRE BEILEIN!!!" right?

Joined: 03/30/2013

MGoPoints: 1670

kmedved

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:16 PM ^

He'll go back to college when Harbaugh goes back to the NFL.

Seriously, re-read those quotes. They read exactly like the quotes about Harbaugh.

Joined: 11/09/2009

MGoPoints: 211

BornSinner

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:19 PM ^

Why the hell would Brad Stevens, who probably should be COTY, leave Boston? 

A team that not only has tradition, but has Danny Ainge, a top GM in the league, with a top 5 pick (Thanks to the Nets) in this year's draft... 

The Celtics are bound to get a premiere player through FA given what Stevens has done with the players Ainge has gotten him so far. 

Give him a Jaylen Brown type and he can mold one hell of a team in a couple years. 

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 14672

Lancer

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:18 PM ^

Wishful thinking and all, but we won't outbid the fucking Celtics. Stevens is the best coach in the east. There's no way the Celtics let him walk. 

Joined: 08/18/2010

MGoPoints: 3297

The Baughz

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:19 PM ^

Well aren't the Celtics the #3 seed in the East right now? Don't think he's going anywhere. I could see him at a UNC or Duke in the near future, especially since Roy and K are at the end of their careers.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 10/08/2010

MGoPoints: 31923

SanDiegoWolverine

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:22 PM ^

the Celtics have the brightest future in the East and Stevens has three more years on his contract after this one. This isn't college, NBA teams don't let their coaches out of their contacts unless they want them to leave.

Joined: 02/03/2009

MGoPoints: 7269

pdgoblue25

March 3rd, 2016 at 9:22 AM ^

If they hit on one of Brooklyn's draft picks and get a star player, maybe.  But as of right now they are in NBA no man's land.

They are in the worst possible position, they have a team good enough to make the playoffs but nowhere near good enough to win, so they will keep getting drilled in the 1st or 2nd round and getting a high draft pick as a result.

Joined: 03/03/2010

MGoPoints: 19008

UMClassOf2018

March 3rd, 2016 at 9:47 AM ^

The Celtics don't have a superstar, but have BY FAR THE most assets to acquire one. I mean, they felt comfortable giving up 4 first rounds picks for Justise fucking Winslow. They also have the Nets pick for the next 3 years (2017 through a pick swap). They will easily be able to trade for any superstar that becomes available on the trade market soon, and will be in a great position.

The no man's land usually refers to teams that have no way to get out of the bottom tier of playoff teams in a conference. According to your definition, the Warriors were in no man's land a few years ago as well

Joined: 11/25/2013

MGoPoints: 927

pdgoblue25

March 3rd, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^

Just because they have draft picks to trade doesn't mean some team will just hand them a superstar. The Cavs were only able to secure Love based on the potential of Wiggins. They were comfortable trading for Winslow because they were aggressively willing to do anything that could potentially net them a star player because they are well aware that they are in no man's land right now.

Joined: 03/03/2010

MGoPoints: 19008

50shadesofHARBAUGH

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:29 PM ^

He has no reason to leave the NBA. Dude is probably the 2nd best basketball mind in the NBA.

The are two ways I see him even consider college again.

1. When coach K retires at Duke.

2. IU fires Crean and offers him the whole state of Indiana.

Joined: 02/13/2015

MGoPoints: 1025

Stringer Bell

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:30 PM ^

I would approve of this hire. But if he has 3 more years on his current deal, I don't think Beilein lasts another 3 years so we'll probably have a replacement by then. He'll probably be Indiana's next coach once Crean follows this up with a few more mediocre seasons.

Joined: 11/06/2014

MGoPoints: 52918

Tedbossman

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:31 PM ^

And Brad Stevens didn't grow up in Ann Arbor. Or play at Michigan. His dad was never an assistant coach at Michigan. No, we're not going to start pulling in superstar coaches from the professional ranks in other sports. Bummer, I know. But come back to reality.

Joined: 01/07/2014

MGoPoints: 1909

SBo

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:38 PM ^

He's the best young coach in all of basketball. He coaches the freaking Boston Celtics, it's not like he's a guy who snuck the Kings into the playoffs. The Celtics are the third seed in the east. Why would he be fired? And why would he want to come here?

I think we could get an NBA coach who's been fired, but I really like Greg Marshall.

Joined: 01/02/2016

MGoPoints: 12139

Stringer Bell

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:39 PM ^

No one's saying he'll be fired. It's if he wants to leave once his contract is up. Some people prefer dealing with college kids over egotistical millionaires. But he probably wouldn't consider coming here since he'd have his choice of pretty much any job in the country.

Joined: 11/06/2014

MGoPoints: 52918