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Assigned Reading: An inside look at Brad Stevens’ decision to leave Butler

Butler v Marquette

LEXINGTON, KY - MARCH 23: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs talks to his players after a double flagrant foul in the first half against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Rupp Arena on March 23, 2013 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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One of the moments this offseason that startled the college basketball world was Brad Stevens’ decision on July 3 to leave Butler for the Boston Celtics, taking over for Doc Rivers as the leader of one of sports’ most storied franchises. But for all the attention that head coaching moves garner, rarely do we get to take an inside look at the decision-making process and the resulting emotions.

Zack Keefer of the Indianapolis Star put together a five-part story on that July day, giving readers a look into all aspect of the move. Viewpoints of the assistants who suddenly found themselves being interviewed for the open position, the players who would find out that the man they committed to play for would no longer be coaching them and athletic director Barry Collier are among the angles provided by Keefer.

So as Stevens sat in his office, telling him he’d accepted the Celtics offer, Collier knew the cold reality: A counteroffer did not exist.

Instead of raises or incentives or a new contract, they reminisced. To Stevens’ right hung a framed photo from the 2010 national championship game in Indianapolis, a memento of the unforgettable rise they shared. Before long, both were in tears.

“I had never seen Brad like that,” Collier says. “It was very, very emotional for both of us. And still is.”


The link to the series can be found here.

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