Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens has heard his name mentioned as a potential candidate for the coaching job at Indiana University. Stevens was born and bred in Indiana, he played college ball at DePauw and coached at Butler – two schools in the state, so there are definitely links to that. But although Stevens appreciates the support he has in his home state, he has made it clear that he does not intend to leave his current position at the Celtics.
“It means a lot,” Stevens said via ESPN. “It means a lot. I know that … listen, I have a lot of friends there. I have a lot of people who are very important to me there. My father is still there. It means a lot. I will not act like that. As I said earlier today, it’s flattering, but I also realize that I’m the coach of the Celtics and it is – it’s been a great opportunity, a great challenge every day for the last eight years and I’m very grateful for that. ‘
Indiana fired coach Archie Miller earlier this month after four devastating seasons, and they are now looking for a replacement who will lead them back to national fame. The Hoosiers have not won a national championship since 1987, and since 2002 they have not reached a final four.
“Listen, every job has its challenges,” Stevens replied when asked about Indiana’s recent series of problems. “Every job has its wonderful things. I do not really want to act as I know. I know – and I said it today – I obviously have a great affinity for the state and basketball in that state. A big part of me passion for basketball state, basketball means a lot and the university programs in the state mean tons.And for my growing up years it was definitely IU.
‘But you know, hey, I think Archie is a good coach and he did very well with the preparation [current Celtic] Romeo [Langford]. I thought when Romeo came in, you could see that he was advanced in many ways. I’ve known Arch for a while, I did not talk to him much. I think in coaching you always recognize how hard it is to be good, how hard it is to win. ‘
While Stevens may be flattered by hearing his name mentioned if someone in his homeland wants to see the rudder take over Indiana, he can not afford to spend too much time on it. The Celtics are currently sixth in the standings, and they are in the middle of a tough battle for the play-off position in the Eastern Conference. If we move forward, they will need an extreme level of focus, and paying attention to distractions, such as rumors about Steven’s future, will not help.