Brad Stevens
Encyclopedia
Brad Stevens is an American college basketball
coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball
coach at Butler University
. He grew up in Zionsville, Indiana
, where he starred on the Zionsville Community High School
basketball team, setting four school records. After high school, he attended DePauw University
, where he played basketball and earned a degree in economics. He made the all-conference team multiple times and was a three-time Academic All-America
nominee. Stevens joined the Butler basketball
program as a volunteer prior to the 2000–01 season after quitting his job at Eli Lilly and Company
. He was promoted to a full-time assistant coaching position for the 2001–02 season. On April 4, 2007, he became the head coach after Todd Lickliter
left to coach the Iowa Hawkeyes
.
In his first year, Stevens led Butler to 30 wins, becoming the third-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to have a 30-win season. In 2010, his third year as head coach, Stevens broke the NCAA record for most wins in a coach's first three years, exceeding the previous record by eight. The 2009–10 team
finished undefeated in conference play, becoming the first Horizon League
team to do so. In the postseason, Stevens coached Butler to the first Final Four in school history. At 33 years old, Stevens became the second-youngest head coach to make a NCAA National Championship game, losing 61-59 to Duke
. Shortly after the season ended, he signed a contract extension with Butler through the 2021–22 season. With the 2010–11 team
making the Final Four, Stevens became the youngest coach to go to two Final Fours. Stevens coached the Bulldogs in their second consecutive national championship game on April 4, 2011, where the team lost to the Huskies of the University of Connecticut.
Stevens is known for a calm, focused coaching style. He spends a lot of time analyzing opponents using statistical analysis, adding new wrinkles to his team's play each game. He puts a strong emphasis on defensive and team oriented basketball. Butler's success against teams with superior athletes has been attributed to Stevens' coaching style and calm demeanor. Stevens has twice been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year and won collegeinsider.com's Hugh Durham Award
mid-season honors in January 2009. He has also been both a Hugh Durham Award and Jim Phelan Award
finalist all three years of his career. He is married with two young children.
suburb of Zionsville
, Indiana, where he developed his love for basketball. Starting at age five, Stevens would watch taped basketball games "before he went to afternoon kindergarten". His father would often drive him to Bloomington
to watch Indiana Hoosiers
games. "It's hard not to be [in love with basketball] when you're a kid growing up in Indiana", Stevens later said.
For his eighth birthday, Stevens received a new basketball. He would get up early to practice shooting at a local gym before school. The hard work paid off as Stevens made the varsity team that same year. By the time his high school career was complete, Stevens had set school records for career scoring, assists, steals, and three-point field goals. As of 2010, he still holds the records for points (1508), assists (444), and steals (156), as well as the single-season points record (644 in 1995). Stevens was named to the all-conference team three times. In 1995, he was named the sectional MVP and was the leading scorer in state sectional play (32.3 ppg).
Stevens made the academic all-state first team and received the Straight A Gold Medal Award all four years. He was a member of the National Honor Society, graduating seventh in his class of 165. He earned three letters in basketball, three in track, and one in baseball during his days at Zionsville. During summers, he traveled the country playing AAU basketball.
Although Stevens had a strong passion for the game, he realized that his basketball skills were modest and not likely to get him very far. As such, he chose to attend academically oriented DePauw University
for college. During his stay, he played in all 101 DePauw games, earning four varsity letters. He earned multiple all-conference and academic all-conference awards, and was a three-time Academic All-America
nominee. He was a team captain his senior year, and averaged more than 8 points per game three of his four years. His career highs were 24 points and 8 rebounds in a game. After his senior year, Stevens received the Coaches’ Award. Coach Bill Fenlon later described Stevens as "one of the most selfless, team-oriented person I've ever been around."
While at DePauw, Stevens was a member of the Management Fellows Honors Program and the DePauw Community Services’ Sports Night executive board. He was also a brother of the Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity. During summer vacations, Stevens spent time teaching at Butler basketball camps. He was named to the Dean's list and graduated in 1999 with a degree in economics.
office. He ran the idea of quitting his job at Eli Lilly by then-longtime girlfriend Tracy Wilhelmy. She thought about it for two hours before telling him to go for it. "Now, it looks like a great idea," Stevens later remarked. "At the time, I thought it was something I really wanted to try." Tracy went back to school to get a law degree that could support the couple if things did not work out for Brad. "We were 23 and realized this was our chance," Tracy later said. "Five years down the road, we were probably not going to be in a position to do that. The more success you had at Lilly, the harder it would be to leave."
Stevens planned to live in a friend's basement and took a job at Applebee’s to pay the bills. Before he started training at Applebee's, he was offered a low-paying administrative position as coordinator of basketball operations under then-coach Thad Matta
. The position had opened up when assistant coach Jamal Meeks resigned after being arrested on solicitation
and drug charges, of which he was later acquitted. Years later, Matta recalled, "[Stevens] was just a hungry young kid that was desperate to get into coaching. He had a great passion and was willing to take a risk to get into the coaching profession."
After Matta left the school following the 2000–01 season, new head coach Todd Lickliter
promoted Stevens to a full-time assistant coach. Under Lickliter, Stevens was active in every aspect of the game: skills instruction, game preparation, in-game coaching, and recruiting. Butler was 131–61 during Stevens' time as an assistant coach.
. The Butler players had a meeting with athletic director Barry Collier
, urging him to promote from within. Collier, having spent the entire season observing the assistant coaches' interaction with the team, agreed. The day after Lickliter resigned Stevens and Butler's two other assistant coaches interviewed for the job. Within 24 hours of the interviews Stevens was named Butler's new head coach. According to Collier, Stevens had something other, outside candidates could never match: six years of experience learning the Butler system, dubbed "The Butler Way
" by Collier. "Age wasn't a factor because I'd seen his ability shine through during the course of the season," Collier said.
added "they've got toughness about them and they expect to win."
Midway through Stevens' first season, with the Bulldogs at 12–1, The New York Times
wrote "so far, Stevens has made the transition [to head coach] look easy." The Times went on to state that Stevens had the calm and composure of a seasoned veteran. "You’ve got a lot of people always looking for the next step. And that’s not what I was doing. I was just trying to figure out a way to win the next game and think like a head coach." Stevens said.
Butler ended the regular season with a 27–3 record, taking first place in the Horizon League
with a 16–2 in conference mark. The team beat Illinois-Chicago 66–50 and Cleveland State 70–55 to claim the league's tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA tournament
. Butler was awarded the seven seed in the East Regional. They beat tenth-seeded South Alabama 81–61 in the first round, before falling to second-seeded Tennessee 76–71 in overtime.
Stevens ended up with a school and Horizon league record 30 wins, beating several big name schools – Michigan, Texas Tech, Florida State, Ohio State – along the way. In so doing, he became the third-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to lead a team to 30 wins in a season, and became the fourth-winningest first-year coach. Butler was nationally ranked for a school and league record 19 consecutive weeks. Butler's 30-4 record was the best among teams that did not reach the Final Four. Stevens was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award
, losing to Keno Davis
of Drake, and a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, losing to Bo Ryan
.
At the conclusion of the season, Butler signed Stevens to a seven-year contract. "We are extremely excited to reach this long-term agreement to have Brad continue to lead our program," Collier remarked.
as an at-large selection. The team received the nine seed in the South Regional, and lost to eighth-seeded Louisiana State in the first round by a score of 75–71 to finish the year at 26–6 overall.
Stevens' 56–10 two-year record places him second only to Bill Guthridge
(58) in total wins during one's first two years as head coach. Stevens was a finalist for the both the Hugh Durham and Jim Phelan Awards for the second straight year and was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year. He was also named as a finalist for the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award
. Stevens was given a one-year contract extension at the conclusion of the season.
's and Shelvin Mack
's roles in leading team USA to the gold medal in the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
during the off-season, Butler began the season ranked 10th in the Coaches' Poll and 11th in the AP Poll
. A few commentators picked the Bulldogs as a possible "sleeper team" to make the Final Four. Stevens was not so sure, privately telling his father, "We have a really good team, and I’m not sure how far we can go this year, but next year, we ought to go really far."
Butler got off to a mediocre start, losing twice in the 76 Classic
82–73 to 22nd-ranked Minnesota and to 19th-ranked Clemson 70–69. After the tournament Butler's record stood at 4–2 and the team dropped to #23 in the AP Poll and #20 in the Coaches' Poll. Butler won its next two games before falling to 13th-ranked Georgetown 72–65 in the Jimmy V Classic. The team won its next two games beating #15 Ohio State
74–66 and edging out former conference rival Xavier
69–68, both at home. After losing 67–57 at UAB
three days later, Butler stood at 9–4 and fell out of the AP rankings. However, the team remained in the Coaches Poll at #23.
Stevens rallied the team, and they proceeded to win 16 straight games before facing Siena
in a BracketBusters game. Butler beat Siena 70–53 and Stevens tied the NCAA record for most wins (81) by a head coach in his first three seasons set by Mark Few
of Gonzaga
in 2002 and tied by Mark Fox
of Nevada
in 2007.
On February 26, 2010, Butler traveled to Valparaiso for their regular season finale. Leading scorer Gordon Hayward was sidelined with lower back pain, but the team still won 74–69. In so doing, Stevens broke the coaching record he had tied the prior week and Butler completed an 18–0 undefeated conference schedule. It was Butler's first undefeated conference record since joining the Horizon League, and first since Joe Sexson led the 1978 team to a 6–0 record in the now defunct Indiana Collegiate Conference
. Stevens earned his third straight regular-season conference championship.
In the Horizon league tournament, Stevens' Bulldogs used their home-court advantage to beat Milwaukee
68–59 in the semi-finals and to beat Wright State
70–45 in the finals. The win earned the team an automatic bid into the 2010 NCAA tournament
, and completed a 20–0 run through league play. Stevens became the first coach to lead a Horizon League team to both an undefeated regular season and conference tournament since the league was formed in 1979. Stevens was also the only coach in Division I to lead his team to an undefeated conference schedule during the 2009–10 season.
For their season, the Bulldogs were ranked 8th in the final pre-NCAA tournament Coaches' Poll and 11th in the corresponding AP Poll. On Selection Sunday, the Bulldogs were seeded fifth in the West regional of the NCAA tournament and given a first-round match up with twelfth seeded UTEP
on March 18.
Many basketball commentators picked UTEP to pull the upset, and at halftime it looked like they might be right, as UTEP led 33–27. Stevens made a number of halftime adjustments, and the Bulldogs came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. The team dominated the second half and won the game 77–59. Butler next faced off with thirteenth seeded Murray State
. The game was close throughout, but Butler emerged victorious 54–52 when Hayward deflected a Murray State pass into the back court with less than five seconds on the clock. The win gave Stevens the first Sweet Sixteen appearance of his career.
On March 25, 2010, Butler faced top-seeded Syracuse. The Bulldogs got off to a good start, jumping out to a 12–1 lead and a 35–25 halftime advantage. Syracuse rallied in the second half, taking its first lead of the game, 40–39, off a Wes Johnson
three-pointer. Stevens called timeout and Butler regained the lead on its next possession, stopping the run. At the 5:32 mark, Syracuse got a rare fast break opportunity that ended with a dunk and 54–50 lead. Stevens again called time out and re-focused the team. Butler responded by holding Syracuse scoreless for the next 5 minutes, taking a 60–54 lead with 0:59 to go. Butler held on to win 63–59, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
Two days later, Stevens' Bulldogs met second-seeded Kansas State in the regional finals. Perhaps feeling the effects of their double overtime 101–96 win two days prior, Kansas State got off to a slow start, scoring just 20 points in the first half to trail 27–20. Butler kept the lead in the upper single digits for most of the second half, before Kansas State went on a 13–2 run and took a 52–51 lead. Stevens immediately called time out and re-focused the team. "Play your game. Just play your game", he told them. On the ensuing possession, Butler regained the lead for good. They outscored Kansas State 12–4 the rest of the way and won the game 63–56. In the post game celebration, Stevens and walk-on forward Emerson Kampen connected on a flying back-bump that became one of the iconic images of the tournament.
The win earned the Bulldogs a trip back to Indianapolis for the first Final Four appearance in school and Horizon League history. The win made Stevens, at age 33, the youngest coach to lead a team to the Final Four since Bob Knight made his first Final Four appearance at age 32 in 1973. Butler became the smallest school (enrollment 4,200) to make the Final Four since seeding began in 1979.
On April 3, Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs faced off with Michigan State in the national semi-finals. Michigan State took an early 14-7 lead, and Matt Howard
got in early foul trouble, sitting most the first half. Stevens kept the team focused with a "next man up" attitude and the game was tied at 28 at halftime. The second half was dominated by tight defense for both sides. With 2:45 to go in the game, the score was 47–44 Butler. Michigan State called a time out to set up a play. Stevens correctly anticipated the play call and had Ronald Nored, the team's best defender, switch onto Korie Lucious
off a screen. Nored stole the ball and Shawn Vanzant got fouled on the resulting run out, hitting 1 of 2. Trailing 50–49 with under 30 seconds remaining, Michigan State came up empty and was forced to foul. Nored hit both foul shots, giving Butler a 52–49 lead. After a Michigan State time out, Stevens had his team foul Lucious with 2 seconds remaining to prevent a potentially game tying 3-pointer. After making the first, Lucious intentionally missed the second free throw. Hayward came down with the rebound to seal the victory. Butler became the first team since the shot clock
was adopted for the 1985–86 season to hold five straight tournament opponents under 60 points.
On April 5, 2010, Butler and Duke
faced off in what The New York Times called "the most eagerly awaited championship game in years". Late in the first half, Duke went on a 8–0 run to take a 26–20 lead. Stevens called a timeout. With starters Matt Howard and Ronald Nored on the bench in foul trouble, Stevens was forced to call on backup center Avery Jukes who came up big for Butler. Jukes scored 10 first half points, tying his season high. At half time, Duke's lead stood at 33–32.
The second half was played very closely, with neither team taking a substantial lead. With 3:16 to play, Duke took a 60–55 lead on two made free throws by Nolan Smith
. Butler cut the lead to one point in the final minute and, after a missed Kyle Singler
jump shot with 36 seconds remaining, got a chance to retake the lead. Butler was unable to initiate their offense and Stevens called a timeout to setup a play. A failed inbounds attempt and a timeout later, Hayward missed a baseline fade-away jumper and Brian Zoubek
came down with the rebound for Duke. He was quickly fouled with less than 4 seconds remaining. Hayward narrowly missed a desperation half-court shot court as time expired, making the final margin 61–59.
The loss snapped Butler's 25-game winning streak, the longest in school history. Butler became the smallest school to play for a National Championship since Jacksonville in 1970. Stevens became the second-youngest head coach to coach in the NCAA National Championship Game, behind Branch McCracken
who led the Indiana Hoosiers
to the 1940 National Championship
at age 31. Stevens was named as both a Hugh Durham and Jim Phelan Award finalist for the third consecutive year, losing to Mike Young
and Jamie Dixon
respectively. He was also a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award
, which was won by Bob Marlin
.
Butler finished the year ranked #2 in the Coaches' Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The school was ranked for 19 consecutive weeks, tying the school record.
personally called Stevens to congratulate him on Butler's season. David Letterman
had Stevens on his show for a guest appearance. Butler admissions inquiries shot up 67%. Stevens received fan letters from around the world, and his phone rang off the hook. He was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Chicago Cubs
vs. Florida Marlins
game in Chicago
on May 10. "It's all been very surreal," Stevens said. "If you are the runner-up, you don't expect to talk to the president." "It's been a little overwhelming, because I'm a pretty simple guy," he added.
The 2009–10 season also helped increase Butler's recruiting profile. Asked if the increased fame would change things, Stevens said it better not spoil him or the university. "I look at this new challenge of not changing and sticking to your core values and making sure you remain humble as a great coaching opportunity."
By re-signing with Butler, Stevens ended speculation that he would leave the university for a higher paying job. Oregon, Clemson, and Wake Forest were all said to be interested in offering Stevens multi-million dollar contracts to leave Butler. "First and foremost, I’m loyal to Butler," Stevens said When asked if he would ever leave Butler, Stevens replied "I guess if they kicked me out."
If every player with remaining eligibility had returned, Butler would have returned four of its five starters for the 2010–11 season; however, Hayward chose to leave for the NBA Draft
, where the Utah Jazz
made him the ninth overall pick. The team also added three solid recruits. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says that would make Butler "right up there, No. 1 or No. 2... They'll be a favorite next year." Very early rankings by ESPN's Andy Katz
and Fox Sports
' Jeff Goodman, both made before Hayward departed for the NBA, ranked Butler third for the 2010–2011 season.
's success as a perimeter forward, Butler ended up winning a share of the conference title at 13–5. The Bulldogs then won the Horizon League Tournament
to secure an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Picked by many to lose a first-round match-up against Old Dominion
, Butler advanced on a last-second tip-in by Howard. Howard was also clutch in their next game, hitting a free throw with a less than one second remaining to beat Pitt
in a dramatic finish. Shelvin Mack
scored 30 points in the win. Butler won their next game when they defeated Wisconsin
. On March 26, 2011, the Bulldogs beat Florida
74–71 in overtime to earn back-to-back trips to the Final Four. On April 2, Butler beat VCU
70–62 to make it to a second consecutive national championship game. For the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs did not win the national championship game, this time defeated by Connecticut
.
Externally, Stevens is always calm, but internally he is far from it. "I'm not as calm as everybody thinks," Stevens says. His wife Tracy adds, "He’s calm and collected, but he’s fiercely competitive. He’s always thinking about how he can beat you." Former player Joel Cornette says "Everyone sees Brad as a level-headed, calm and cool coach, but he’s about as competitive of a guy as I know. We would get into it constantly, whether playing two-on-two or arguing about players’ having better college careers."
Stevens spends a lot of time preparing for each game, and always tries to add a few new wrinkles specific to that game's opponent. He is a proponent of using statistical analysis to enhance his coaching decisions, spending almost as much time looking at statistics as watching game film. He has been described as "a bit of a savant" when it goes to basketball statistics. Sports Illustrated
calls Stevens an expert "on breaking down tape and looking at statistical trends to find opponents' weaknesses." Sophomore guard Ronald Nored agrees: "We know everything we need to about our opponents, all their tendencies are broken down" ahead of time.
Stevens' teams are built around solid basketball fundamentals and good team work, rather than individual basketball skill. His teams are known for their defense, forcing opponents into uncharacteristic mistakes. The secret to basketball – and life – is "just to do the job to the best of your ability and don't worry about anything else," Stevens says. "Win the next game. Win the next possession. That's our focus. It's boring. It's also the way championships are won", he says. In short, Stevens is a strong believer in "The Butler Way" – doing all the little things that transform a group of good basketball players into a great basketball team. "I tell the players 'the Butler Way' isn't easy to define," Stevens says, "but you can see it on the floor when we share the basketball, play with great energy and defend."
Stevens prefers to recruit strong team players instead of going after "top recruits." "The guys we [have] recruited, most of them weren't very highly ranked," Stevens says. "They had very good high school careers or careers at other places (transfers), but for one reason or the other they weren't seen as great players. But they all had intangibles."
Stevens has often been referred to as a coaching prodigy, but is not interested in self promotion. He instead prefers to deflect the praise he receives to the players, athletic department, and his mentors. He has not been known to posture for more money, or to leak his name for open coaching positions. He has been described as humble, modest, and not "about the money".
The New York Times, USA Today
, ESPN
, and other commentators have attributed Butler's success against teams with superior athletes to Stevens' coaching style. The Times remarks, "the Bulldogs are very well prepared for their opponents, and they do not rattle easily", and says that the resulting confidence has led to the team's success. "He coaches to his personality and to his strengths," Collier says. "Obviously, he has great rapport and communication ability with his team." Yahoo! Sports
compared Stevens to legendary coach John Wooden
writing "Brad Stevens is winning at Butler the Wooden way – calm and composed on the sideline." Wooden agreed, saying, "I enjoy watching [Stevens] and very much enjoy [Butler's] style of play."
Stevens met his wife Tracy (née
Wilhelmy) while attending DePauw University. Tracy, who played soccer
for DePauw, quickly learned of Brad's love for basketball; on their third date he drove her an hour and a half to attend a high school basketball game. Tracy graduated from Rocky River High School in 1995, and from DePauw in 1999. She returned to school in 2000, driving five hours from Case Western
's law school
to Indianapolis on weekends to see Brad. She finished her final year of law school in Indianapolis and the couple were married in August 2003. The Stevens live in Indianapolis
, with their two children – a four-year-old son, Brady, and a daughter, Kinsley. Tracy works as a labor and employment lawyer.
Brad and Tracy Stevens are involved with the American Cancer Society
's Coaches Vs. Cancer. Brad says that the cause really hit home for them after Tracy's mother died of the disease in June 2004. The day before Butler's 2010 Final Four appearance, they hosted a fundraiser for the organization. Brad Stevens has also volunteered his time to the Jukes Foundation for Kids, a charity benefiting Uganda
n children run by former Butler player Avery Jukes.
Stevens's father Mark is an orthopedic surgeon in Indianapolis and former Indiana Hoosiers football
player. His mother Jan is a university professor. She has previously taught at Butler.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
. He grew up in Zionsville, Indiana
Zionsville, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,775 people, 3,063 households, and 2,407 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,512.9 people per square mile . There were 3,169 housing units at an average density of 546.4 per square mile...
, where he starred on the Zionsville Community High School
Zionsville Community High School
Zionsville Community High School is a 4-year high school located in Boone County, Zionsville, Indiana, United States. The high school's current enrollment is 1,990 students as of the 2009-2010 school year....
basketball team, setting four school records. After high school, he attended DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
, where he played basketball and earned a degree in economics. He made the all-conference team multiple times and was a three-time Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
nominee. Stevens joined the Butler basketball
Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979...
program as a volunteer prior to the 2000–01 season after quitting his job at Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
. He was promoted to a full-time assistant coaching position for the 2001–02 season. On April 4, 2007, he became the head coach after Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter is a basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team. In 2011 he became an assistant coach at Miami .-Early years:...
left to coach the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
.
In his first year, Stevens led Butler to 30 wins, becoming the third-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to have a 30-win season. In 2010, his third year as head coach, Stevens broke the NCAA record for most wins in a coach's first three years, exceeding the previous record by eight. The 2009–10 team
2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Brad Stevens, serving his 3rd year...
finished undefeated in conference play, becoming the first Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
team to do so. In the postseason, Stevens coached Butler to the first Final Four in school history. At 33 years old, Stevens became the second-youngest head coach to make a NCAA National Championship game, losing 61-59 to Duke
2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
. Shortly after the season ended, he signed a contract extension with Butler through the 2021–22 season. With the 2010–11 team
2010–11 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Brad Stevens, serving his 4th year. The Bulldogs played their home games at the Hinkle Fieldhouse, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000...
making the Final Four, Stevens became the youngest coach to go to two Final Fours. Stevens coached the Bulldogs in their second consecutive national championship game on April 4, 2011, where the team lost to the Huskies of the University of Connecticut.
Stevens is known for a calm, focused coaching style. He spends a lot of time analyzing opponents using statistical analysis, adding new wrinkles to his team's play each game. He puts a strong emphasis on defensive and team oriented basketball. Butler's success against teams with superior athletes has been attributed to Stevens' coaching style and calm demeanor. Stevens has twice been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year and won collegeinsider.com's Hugh Durham Award
Hugh Durham Award
The Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition...
mid-season honors in January 2009. He has also been both a Hugh Durham Award and Jim Phelan Award
Jim Phelan Award
The Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition...
finalist all three years of his career. He is married with two young children.
Early life
Stevens grew up in the IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
suburb of Zionsville
Zionsville, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,775 people, 3,063 households, and 2,407 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,512.9 people per square mile . There were 3,169 housing units at an average density of 546.4 per square mile...
, Indiana, where he developed his love for basketball. Starting at age five, Stevens would watch taped basketball games "before he went to afternoon kindergarten". His father would often drive him to Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
to watch Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
games. "It's hard not to be [in love with basketball] when you're a kid growing up in Indiana", Stevens later said.
For his eighth birthday, Stevens received a new basketball. He would get up early to practice shooting at a local gym before school. The hard work paid off as Stevens made the varsity team that same year. By the time his high school career was complete, Stevens had set school records for career scoring, assists, steals, and three-point field goals. As of 2010, he still holds the records for points (1508), assists (444), and steals (156), as well as the single-season points record (644 in 1995). Stevens was named to the all-conference team three times. In 1995, he was named the sectional MVP and was the leading scorer in state sectional play (32.3 ppg).
Stevens made the academic all-state first team and received the Straight A Gold Medal Award all four years. He was a member of the National Honor Society, graduating seventh in his class of 165. He earned three letters in basketball, three in track, and one in baseball during his days at Zionsville. During summers, he traveled the country playing AAU basketball.
Although Stevens had a strong passion for the game, he realized that his basketball skills were modest and not likely to get him very far. As such, he chose to attend academically oriented DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
for college. During his stay, he played in all 101 DePauw games, earning four varsity letters. He earned multiple all-conference and academic all-conference awards, and was a three-time Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
nominee. He was a team captain his senior year, and averaged more than 8 points per game three of his four years. His career highs were 24 points and 8 rebounds in a game. After his senior year, Stevens received the Coaches’ Award. Coach Bill Fenlon later described Stevens as "one of the most selfless, team-oriented person I've ever been around."
While at DePauw, Stevens was a member of the Management Fellows Honors Program and the DePauw Community Services’ Sports Night executive board. He was also a brother of the Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
fraternity. During summer vacations, Stevens spent time teaching at Butler basketball camps. He was named to the Dean's list and graduated in 1999 with a degree in economics.
Butler
In the summer of 2000, Stevens was offered the opportunity to volunteer in the Butler basketballButler Bulldogs men's basketball
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979...
office. He ran the idea of quitting his job at Eli Lilly by then-longtime girlfriend Tracy Wilhelmy. She thought about it for two hours before telling him to go for it. "Now, it looks like a great idea," Stevens later remarked. "At the time, I thought it was something I really wanted to try." Tracy went back to school to get a law degree that could support the couple if things did not work out for Brad. "We were 23 and realized this was our chance," Tracy later said. "Five years down the road, we were probably not going to be in a position to do that. The more success you had at Lilly, the harder it would be to leave."
Stevens planned to live in a friend's basement and took a job at Applebee’s to pay the bills. Before he started training at Applebee's, he was offered a low-paying administrative position as coordinator of basketball operations under then-coach Thad Matta
Thad Matta
Thad Matta is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. He was hired as the 13th head coach in Ohio State history on July 7, 2004 after the school had fired previous coach Jim O'Brien...
. The position had opened up when assistant coach Jamal Meeks resigned after being arrested on solicitation
Solicitation
Literally, solicitation means: 'urgently asking'. It is the action or instance of soliciting; petition; proposal. In criminal law, it most commonly refers to either the act of offering goods or services, or the act of attempting to purchase such goods or services...
and drug charges, of which he was later acquitted. Years later, Matta recalled, "[Stevens] was just a hungry young kid that was desperate to get into coaching. He had a great passion and was willing to take a risk to get into the coaching profession."
After Matta left the school following the 2000–01 season, new head coach Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter is a basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team. In 2011 he became an assistant coach at Miami .-Early years:...
promoted Stevens to a full-time assistant coach. Under Lickliter, Stevens was active in every aspect of the game: skills instruction, game preparation, in-game coaching, and recruiting. Butler was 131–61 during Stevens' time as an assistant coach.
Named head coach
On April 2, 2007, Lickliter resigned in order to take the head-coaching position at the University of IowaIowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...
. The Butler players had a meeting with athletic director Barry Collier
Barry Collier (basketball coach)
Barry Collier is an American former college basketball coach. He is currently the athletic director at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was previously head men's basketball coach at Butler and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.-References:...
, urging him to promote from within. Collier, having spent the entire season observing the assistant coaches' interaction with the team, agreed. The day after Lickliter resigned Stevens and Butler's two other assistant coaches interviewed for the job. Within 24 hours of the interviews Stevens was named Butler's new head coach. According to Collier, Stevens had something other, outside candidates could never match: six years of experience learning the Butler system, dubbed "The Butler Way
The Butler Way
The Butler Way is a term used since the 2006-07 men's NCAA college basketball season by broadcasters and sportswriters nationwide to describe the governing philosophy of the Butler Bulldogs, one of the most successful mid-major programs...
" by Collier. "Age wasn't a factor because I'd seen his ability shine through during the course of the season," Collier said.
2007–08 season
At the start of the 2007–08 season, Stevens was the second youngest coach in Division I basketball. He got off to a fast start, winning his first eight games before falling to Wright State 43–42. Legendary coach Bob Knight, whose Texas Tech team was an early victim, said "I wish we played as smart as they do." Virginia Tech coach Seth GreenbergSeth Greenberg
Seth Greenberg is an American college basketball coach, and the current head coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team. Greenberg just finished his seventh season as head coach of the Hokies...
added "they've got toughness about them and they expect to win."
Midway through Stevens' first season, with the Bulldogs at 12–1, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote "so far, Stevens has made the transition [to head coach] look easy." The Times went on to state that Stevens had the calm and composure of a seasoned veteran. "You’ve got a lot of people always looking for the next step. And that’s not what I was doing. I was just trying to figure out a way to win the next game and think like a head coach." Stevens said.
Butler ended the regular season with a 27–3 record, taking first place in the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
with a 16–2 in conference mark. The team beat Illinois-Chicago 66–50 and Cleveland State 70–55 to claim the league's tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
. Butler was awarded the seven seed in the East Regional. They beat tenth-seeded South Alabama 81–61 in the first round, before falling to second-seeded Tennessee 76–71 in overtime.
Stevens ended up with a school and Horizon league record 30 wins, beating several big name schools – Michigan, Texas Tech, Florida State, Ohio State – along the way. In so doing, he became the third-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to lead a team to 30 wins in a season, and became the fourth-winningest first-year coach. Butler was nationally ranked for a school and league record 19 consecutive weeks. Butler's 30-4 record was the best among teams that did not reach the Final Four. Stevens was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award
Hugh Durham Award
The Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition...
, losing to Keno Davis
Keno Davis
-External links:*****...
of Drake, and a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, losing to Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan
William "Bo" Francis Ryan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's basketball team.-Playing career:...
.
At the conclusion of the season, Butler signed Stevens to a seven-year contract. "We are extremely excited to reach this long-term agreement to have Brad continue to lead our program," Collier remarked.
2008–09 season
Butler lost four starters after the 2007–08 season, and was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon league during the 2008–09 season. The team got off to a 12–1 start that won Stevens the Hugh Durham mid-season coaching award. On February 5, Stevens notched his 50th win as Butler beat Detroit 66–61. In so doing, Stevens became the sixth head coach in NCAA history to reach 50 wins in 56 games or fewer. Butler finished first in the Horizon League with a 15–3 in conference record, defying preseason expectations. Butler lost the Horizon League tournament final 57–54 to Cleveland State, but made the NCAA tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
as an at-large selection. The team received the nine seed in the South Regional, and lost to eighth-seeded Louisiana State in the first round by a score of 75–71 to finish the year at 26–6 overall.
Stevens' 56–10 two-year record places him second only to Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
(58) in total wins during one's first two years as head coach. Stevens was a finalist for the both the Hugh Durham and Jim Phelan Awards for the second straight year and was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year. He was also named as a finalist for the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award
Henry Iba Award
The Henry Iba Award was established in 1959 to recognize the best college basketball coach of the year by the United States Basketball Writers Association . Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award, which is presented in conjunction with the Final Four....
. Stevens was given a one-year contract extension at the conclusion of the season.
2009–10 season
Fueled in large part by Gordon HaywardGordon Hayward
Gordon Daniel Hayward , is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He played college basketball at Butler University in Indianapolis for two seasons before leaving for the NBA. Hayward emerged as a superstar in his sophomore year, leading his team to a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA...
's and Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game...
's roles in leading team USA to the gold medal in the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
FIBA Under-19 World Championship 2009
The 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship was an international basketball competition held in Auckland, New Zealand from July 2, 2009 until July 12.-Qualification:*FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship 2008*#*#*FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship 2008*#*#*#...
during the off-season, Butler began the season ranked 10th in the Coaches' Poll and 11th in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. A few commentators picked the Bulldogs as a possible "sleeper team" to make the Final Four. Stevens was not so sure, privately telling his father, "We have a really good team, and I’m not sure how far we can go this year, but next year, we ought to go really far."
Butler got off to a mediocre start, losing twice in the 76 Classic
2009 76 Classic
The 2009 76 Classic is a 3-day, 8-team, 12-game men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I exempt basketball event being held on November 26, 27, & 29, 2009. The tournament is sponsored by Conoco Phillips-owned brand 76. All 12 games are played at the Anaheim Convention Center in...
82–73 to 22nd-ranked Minnesota and to 19th-ranked Clemson 70–69. After the tournament Butler's record stood at 4–2 and the team dropped to #23 in the AP Poll and #20 in the Coaches' Poll. Butler won its next two games before falling to 13th-ranked Georgetown 72–65 in the Jimmy V Classic. The team won its next two games beating #15 Ohio State
2009-10 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented The Ohio State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. Their head coach was Thad Matta, in his 6th season with the Buckeyes...
74–66 and edging out former conference rival Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
69–68, both at home. After losing 67–57 at UAB
2009–10 UAB Blazers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 UAB Blazers men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Mike Davis's fourth season at UAB. The Blazers compete in Conference USA and played their home games at Bartow Arena...
three days later, Butler stood at 9–4 and fell out of the AP rankings. However, the team remained in the Coaches Poll at #23.
Stevens rallied the team, and they proceeded to win 16 straight games before facing Siena
2009–10 Siena Saints men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Siena Saints men's basketball team represented Siena College in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Fran McCaffery's fifth season at Siena. The Saints competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and played their home games at Times Union Center...
in a BracketBusters game. Butler beat Siena 70–53 and Stevens tied the NCAA record for most wins (81) by a head coach in his first three seasons set by Mark Few
Mark Few
Mark Few is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Gonzaga University. He has served on Gonzaga's coaching staff since 1989, and has been a constant on the sidelines throughout a period that has seen the Bulldogs rise from mid-major obscurity to regular participants in...
of Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in 2002 and tied by Mark Fox
Mark Fox
Mark Fox is a public policy analyst and journalist.He is currently Chief Executive of the BSA - The Business Services Association, London, UK.-Early life and education:...
of Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball
The Nevada Wolf Pack basketball program is a college basketball team that represents the University of Nevada, Reno. The team is currently a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which is a Division I conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in 2007.
On February 26, 2010, Butler traveled to Valparaiso for their regular season finale. Leading scorer Gordon Hayward was sidelined with lower back pain, but the team still won 74–69. In so doing, Stevens broke the coaching record he had tied the prior week and Butler completed an 18–0 undefeated conference schedule. It was Butler's first undefeated conference record since joining the Horizon League, and first since Joe Sexson led the 1978 team to a 6–0 record in the now defunct Indiana Collegiate Conference
Indiana Collegiate Conference
The Indiana Collegiate Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States from 1951 to 1979. It consisted of schools in Indiana....
. Stevens earned his third straight regular-season conference championship.
In the Horizon league tournament, Stevens' Bulldogs used their home-court advantage to beat Milwaukee
2009–10 UW–Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball represented the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee during the 2009–10 college basketball season. They were led by head coach Rob Jeter. The Panthers competed in the Horizon League and played their home games at US Cellular Arena...
68–59 in the semi-finals and to beat Wright State
Wright State Raiders men's basketball
The Wright State Raiders team is the basketball team that represents Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007. The Raiders are currently coached by Billy...
70–45 in the finals. The win earned the team an automatic bid into the 2010 NCAA tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, and completed a 20–0 run through league play. Stevens became the first coach to lead a Horizon League team to both an undefeated regular season and conference tournament since the league was formed in 1979. Stevens was also the only coach in Division I to lead his team to an undefeated conference schedule during the 2009–10 season.
NCAA tournament
For their season, the Bulldogs were ranked 8th in the final pre-NCAA tournament Coaches' Poll and 11th in the corresponding AP Poll. On Selection Sunday, the Bulldogs were seeded fifth in the West regional of the NCAA tournament and given a first-round match up with twelfth seeded UTEP
2009–10 UTEP Miners men's basketball team
The 2009–10 UTEP Miners men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Tony Barbee's fourth season at UTEP. The Miners competed in Conference USA and played their home games at the Don Haskins Center. They finished...
on March 18.
Many basketball commentators picked UTEP to pull the upset, and at halftime it looked like they might be right, as UTEP led 33–27. Stevens made a number of halftime adjustments, and the Bulldogs came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. The team dominated the second half and won the game 77–59. Butler next faced off with thirteenth seeded Murray State
2009–10 Murray State Racers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Murray State Racers men's basketball team represented Murray State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Billy Kennedy's fourth season at Murray State. The Racers competed in the Ohio Valley Conference and played their home games at the Regional...
. The game was close throughout, but Butler emerged victorious 54–52 when Hayward deflected a Murray State pass into the back court with less than five seconds on the clock. The win gave Stevens the first Sweet Sixteen appearance of his career.
On March 25, 2010, Butler faced top-seeded Syracuse. The Bulldogs got off to a good start, jumping out to a 12–1 lead and a 35–25 halftime advantage. Syracuse rallied in the second half, taking its first lead of the game, 40–39, off a Wes Johnson
Wesley Johnson (basketball)
Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State...
three-pointer. Stevens called timeout and Butler regained the lead on its next possession, stopping the run. At the 5:32 mark, Syracuse got a rare fast break opportunity that ended with a dunk and 54–50 lead. Stevens again called time out and re-focused the team. Butler responded by holding Syracuse scoreless for the next 5 minutes, taking a 60–54 lead with 0:59 to go. Butler held on to win 63–59, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
Two days later, Stevens' Bulldogs met second-seeded Kansas State in the regional finals. Perhaps feeling the effects of their double overtime 101–96 win two days prior, Kansas State got off to a slow start, scoring just 20 points in the first half to trail 27–20. Butler kept the lead in the upper single digits for most of the second half, before Kansas State went on a 13–2 run and took a 52–51 lead. Stevens immediately called time out and re-focused the team. "Play your game. Just play your game", he told them. On the ensuing possession, Butler regained the lead for good. They outscored Kansas State 12–4 the rest of the way and won the game 63–56. In the post game celebration, Stevens and walk-on forward Emerson Kampen connected on a flying back-bump that became one of the iconic images of the tournament.
The win earned the Bulldogs a trip back to Indianapolis for the first Final Four appearance in school and Horizon League history. The win made Stevens, at age 33, the youngest coach to lead a team to the Final Four since Bob Knight made his first Final Four appearance at age 32 in 1973. Butler became the smallest school (enrollment 4,200) to make the Final Four since seeding began in 1979.
Final Four
On April 3, Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs faced off with Michigan State in the national semi-finals. Michigan State took an early 14-7 lead, and Matt Howard
Matt Howard (basketball)
Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs...
got in early foul trouble, sitting most the first half. Stevens kept the team focused with a "next man up" attitude and the game was tied at 28 at halftime. The second half was dominated by tight defense for both sides. With 2:45 to go in the game, the score was 47–44 Butler. Michigan State called a time out to set up a play. Stevens correctly anticipated the play call and had Ronald Nored, the team's best defender, switch onto Korie Lucious
Korie Lucious
Korian "Korie" Lucious is an American college basketball player, formerly playing for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team....
off a screen. Nored stole the ball and Shawn Vanzant got fouled on the resulting run out, hitting 1 of 2. Trailing 50–49 with under 30 seconds remaining, Michigan State came up empty and was forced to foul. Nored hit both foul shots, giving Butler a 52–49 lead. After a Michigan State time out, Stevens had his team foul Lucious with 2 seconds remaining to prevent a potentially game tying 3-pointer. After making the first, Lucious intentionally missed the second free throw. Hayward came down with the rebound to seal the victory. Butler became the first team since the shot clock
Shot clock
A shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball....
was adopted for the 1985–86 season to hold five straight tournament opponents under 60 points.
On April 5, 2010, Butler and Duke
2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
faced off in what The New York Times called "the most eagerly awaited championship game in years". Late in the first half, Duke went on a 8–0 run to take a 26–20 lead. Stevens called a timeout. With starters Matt Howard and Ronald Nored on the bench in foul trouble, Stevens was forced to call on backup center Avery Jukes who came up big for Butler. Jukes scored 10 first half points, tying his season high. At half time, Duke's lead stood at 33–32.
The second half was played very closely, with neither team taking a substantial lead. With 3:16 to play, Duke took a 60–55 lead on two made free throws by Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith
Nolan Derek Smith is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after four years at Duke University. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year...
. Butler cut the lead to one point in the final minute and, after a missed Kyle Singler
Kyle Singler
Kyle Edward Singler is a professional basketball player for the Real Madrid in Spain. He was a four-year starter for the Duke men's basketball team and was instrumental in their 2010 NCAA Championship run, earning MVP of the Final Four.-High school:Singler attended South Medford High School and...
jump shot with 36 seconds remaining, got a chance to retake the lead. Butler was unable to initiate their offense and Stevens called a timeout to setup a play. A failed inbounds attempt and a timeout later, Hayward missed a baseline fade-away jumper and Brian Zoubek
Brian Zoubek
Brian Henry Zoubek is a 7'1" basketball center. He was a member of the Duke Blue Devils' 2010 NCAA Championship team.-Family:...
came down with the rebound for Duke. He was quickly fouled with less than 4 seconds remaining. Hayward narrowly missed a desperation half-court shot court as time expired, making the final margin 61–59.
The loss snapped Butler's 25-game winning streak, the longest in school history. Butler became the smallest school to play for a National Championship since Jacksonville in 1970. Stevens became the second-youngest head coach to coach in the NCAA National Championship Game, behind Branch McCracken
Branch McCracken
Branch McCracken was a college men's basketball coach.As a player at Indiana, the Monrovia, Indiana native was a three-year letter winner for Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean...
who led the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
to the 1940 National Championship
1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the participating champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 20, 1940, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Kansas City, Missouri...
at age 31. Stevens was named as both a Hugh Durham and Jim Phelan Award finalist for the third consecutive year, losing to Mike Young
Mike Young (basketball coach)
-External links:***...
and Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon is an American basketball head coach. He has served as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team since 2003. In 2009 he was the head coach for the FIBA Under-19 2009 gold-medal winning United States national basketball team for which he was named the 2009 USA...
respectively. He was also a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award
Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award is an award given annually to the nation's men's head basketball coach in NCAA Division I competition who also exhibits strong moral character. The award was established in 2008 and is named for legendary head coach Skip Prosser, who spent most of his coaching...
, which was won by Bob Marlin
Bob Marlin
-External links:*...
.
Butler finished the year ranked #2 in the Coaches' Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The school was ranked for 19 consecutive weeks, tying the school record.
2010 off-season
After the end of the 2009–10 season, Brad Stevens and Butler continued to attract considerable attention. President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
personally called Stevens to congratulate him on Butler's season. David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
had Stevens on his show for a guest appearance. Butler admissions inquiries shot up 67%. Stevens received fan letters from around the world, and his phone rang off the hook. He was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
vs. Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
game in Chicago
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
on May 10. "It's all been very surreal," Stevens said. "If you are the runner-up, you don't expect to talk to the president." "It's been a little overwhelming, because I'm a pretty simple guy," he added.
The 2009–10 season also helped increase Butler's recruiting profile. Asked if the increased fame would change things, Stevens said it better not spoil him or the university. "I look at this new challenge of not changing and sticking to your core values and making sure you remain humble as a great coaching opportunity."
Coaching future
On April 8, 2010, Stevens signed a long-term deal with Butler, extending his contract through the 2021–22 season. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed; however, Butler president Bobby Fong had publicly stated that the university could afford to increase Stevens' base salary to approximately US$1,000,000 a few days prior. Stevens had previously made US$395,000 plus benefits in base salary, a relatively low figure for a successful Division I head basketball coach. His total compensation for 2009–10 was estimated at US$750,000. Stevens' has received a raise after each of his three seasons at Butler and his contract contains a buyout clause estimated in the high six or low seven figures.By re-signing with Butler, Stevens ended speculation that he would leave the university for a higher paying job. Oregon, Clemson, and Wake Forest were all said to be interested in offering Stevens multi-million dollar contracts to leave Butler. "First and foremost, I’m loyal to Butler," Stevens said When asked if he would ever leave Butler, Stevens replied "I guess if they kicked me out."
If every player with remaining eligibility had returned, Butler would have returned four of its five starters for the 2010–11 season; however, Hayward chose to leave for the NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
, where the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
made him the ninth overall pick. The team also added three solid recruits. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says that would make Butler "right up there, No. 1 or No. 2... They'll be a favorite next year." Very early rankings by ESPN's Andy Katz
Andy Katz
Andy Katz is a senior college basketball journalist for ESPN.com. He is a regular sports analyst on College GameNight on ESPN. Katz earned a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison , and has worked for ESPN since January 5, 2000....
and Fox Sports
Fox College Sports
Fox College Sports is a group of three United States digital cable networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific owned by News Corporation, that specialize primarily in showing collegiate programming, live events, coaches shows & various DI, DII, & DIII content surrounding college athletics...
' Jeff Goodman, both made before Hayward departed for the NBA, ranked Butler third for the 2010–2011 season.
2010–11 season
Butler went through a rough patch early in the season, at one point losing three straight games and having a 6–5 conference record. Bolstered by the emergence of Andrew Smith at center and Matt HowardMatt Howard (basketball)
Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs...
's success as a perimeter forward, Butler ended up winning a share of the conference title at 13–5. The Bulldogs then won the Horizon League Tournament
2011 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament
First round games at campus sites of lower-numbered seedsSecond round and semifinals hosted by #1 overall seed Championship game hosted by highest remaining seed-Honors:...
to secure an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Picked by many to lose a first-round match-up against Old Dominion
2010–11 Old Dominion Monarchs basketball team
The 2010–11 Old Dominion Monarchs basketball team represented Old Dominion University during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Monarchs, led by 10th year head coach Blaine Taylor, played their home games at Ted Constant Convocation Center and are members of the Colonial...
, Butler advanced on a last-second tip-in by Howard. Howard was also clutch in their next game, hitting a free throw with a less than one second remaining to beat Pitt
2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2010-11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their Head Coach was Jamie Dixon, who was in his 8th year as head coach at Pittsburgh and 12th overall at the University...
in a dramatic finish. Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game...
scored 30 points in the win. Butler won their next game when they defeated Wisconsin
2010–11 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team represented University of Wisconsin at Madison in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was coach Bo Ryan's tenth season at the University of Wisconsin. They played their home games at the Kohl Center and are members of the Big Ten Conference...
. On March 26, 2011, the Bulldogs beat Florida
2010–11 Florida Gators men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2010–11 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern...
74–71 in overtime to earn back-to-back trips to the Final Four. On April 2, Butler beat VCU
2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team
The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University in the Colonial Athletic Association conference during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second year head coach Shaka Smart, played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel...
70–62 to make it to a second consecutive national championship game. For the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs did not win the national championship game, this time defeated by Connecticut
2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010–2011 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Jim Calhoun and played their home games at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel...
.
Coaching style
According to Stevens, in one of his first games as head coach, he was nervous and "felt like our team played on edge" because of it. He decided that a team's play will reflect the mood of its coach; a calm coach means a team that will remain poised in difficult game situations, while a nervous coach means a team that plays on edge. "I don’t want to lose a game because of my approach," he told himself. Accordingly, he developed a strategy of always remaining calm and focused during games. He rarely raises his voice or gets emotional, instead quietly observing on the sideline with folded arms. He does not get upset about bad calls by referees or player mistakes, preferring to focus on "the next play" rather than what just happened. Butler player Willie Veasley explained Butler's 2010 Final Four run by saying, "When those big runs [by Syracuse and Kansas State] came, Coach called a timeout and said a few calm words. Then he said he believes in us, he loves us and we're going to win the game." On the rare occasion Stevens feels the need to correct a player, assistant coach Matthew Graves says he does it with "positive reinforcement, just at a little louder decibel". Above all, Stevens wants his players to be confident, not living in fear of being yanked for making a bad play.Externally, Stevens is always calm, but internally he is far from it. "I'm not as calm as everybody thinks," Stevens says. His wife Tracy adds, "He’s calm and collected, but he’s fiercely competitive. He’s always thinking about how he can beat you." Former player Joel Cornette says "Everyone sees Brad as a level-headed, calm and cool coach, but he’s about as competitive of a guy as I know. We would get into it constantly, whether playing two-on-two or arguing about players’ having better college careers."
Stevens spends a lot of time preparing for each game, and always tries to add a few new wrinkles specific to that game's opponent. He is a proponent of using statistical analysis to enhance his coaching decisions, spending almost as much time looking at statistics as watching game film. He has been described as "a bit of a savant" when it goes to basketball statistics. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
calls Stevens an expert "on breaking down tape and looking at statistical trends to find opponents' weaknesses." Sophomore guard Ronald Nored agrees: "We know everything we need to about our opponents, all their tendencies are broken down" ahead of time.
Stevens' teams are built around solid basketball fundamentals and good team work, rather than individual basketball skill. His teams are known for their defense, forcing opponents into uncharacteristic mistakes. The secret to basketball – and life – is "just to do the job to the best of your ability and don't worry about anything else," Stevens says. "Win the next game. Win the next possession. That's our focus. It's boring. It's also the way championships are won", he says. In short, Stevens is a strong believer in "The Butler Way" – doing all the little things that transform a group of good basketball players into a great basketball team. "I tell the players 'the Butler Way' isn't easy to define," Stevens says, "but you can see it on the floor when we share the basketball, play with great energy and defend."
Stevens prefers to recruit strong team players instead of going after "top recruits." "The guys we [have] recruited, most of them weren't very highly ranked," Stevens says. "They had very good high school careers or careers at other places (transfers), but for one reason or the other they weren't seen as great players. But they all had intangibles."
Stevens has often been referred to as a coaching prodigy, but is not interested in self promotion. He instead prefers to deflect the praise he receives to the players, athletic department, and his mentors. He has not been known to posture for more money, or to leak his name for open coaching positions. He has been described as humble, modest, and not "about the money".
The New York Times, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and other commentators have attributed Butler's success against teams with superior athletes to Stevens' coaching style. The Times remarks, "the Bulldogs are very well prepared for their opponents, and they do not rattle easily", and says that the resulting confidence has led to the team's success. "He coaches to his personality and to his strengths," Collier says. "Obviously, he has great rapport and communication ability with his team." Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
compared Stevens to legendary coach John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
writing "Brad Stevens is winning at Butler the Wooden way – calm and composed on the sideline." Wooden agreed, saying, "I enjoy watching [Stevens] and very much enjoy [Butler's] style of play."
Personal life
Brad Stevens is known for his youthful looks, often being described as "baby-faced". One commentator remarked "Stevens looks like he checks the mirror every morning to see if it's time to start shaving." On occasion, he has been mistaken for a player. He is also known for projecting a professional, "corporate" look from the sidelines. Asked what his life would be like if he had never taken up coaching, he replies "If everything else remained the same, I would have been as happy as heck... Friends and family and faith, they're going to take the cake over all this stuff."Stevens met his wife Tracy (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Wilhelmy) while attending DePauw University. Tracy, who played soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
for DePauw, quickly learned of Brad's love for basketball; on their third date he drove her an hour and a half to attend a high school basketball game. Tracy graduated from Rocky River High School in 1995, and from DePauw in 1999. She returned to school in 2000, driving five hours from Case Western
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
's law school
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law is the law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1892, making it one of the oldest law schools in the country. It was one of the first schools accredited by the American Bar Association and was...
to Indianapolis on weekends to see Brad. She finished her final year of law school in Indianapolis and the couple were married in August 2003. The Stevens live in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, with their two children – a four-year-old son, Brady, and a daughter, Kinsley. Tracy works as a labor and employment lawyer.
Brad and Tracy Stevens are involved with the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
's Coaches Vs. Cancer. Brad says that the cause really hit home for them after Tracy's mother died of the disease in June 2004. The day before Butler's 2010 Final Four appearance, they hosted a fundraiser for the organization. Brad Stevens has also volunteered his time to the Jukes Foundation for Kids, a charity benefiting Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n children run by former Butler player Avery Jukes.
Stevens's father Mark is an orthopedic surgeon in Indianapolis and former Indiana Hoosiers football
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
player. His mother Jan is a university professor. She has previously taught at Butler.
Head coaching record
Awards and nominations
- Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award finalist (2009)
- Horizon League Coach of the Year (2009, 2010)
- Hugh Durham Award for Mid-major Coach of the Year finalist (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Hugh Durham Award Mid-season honors (2009)
- Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award finalist (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award finalist (2010)
Further reading
-
- Sports Illustrated provides a detailed look at Stevens' coaching techniques by going inside the Butler locker room before their 2008 NCAA Tournament game against Tennessee.
- Butler beat reporter for the Indianapolis Star David Woods writes about the re-emergence of Butler as a national power in basketball.
- A FanHouseFanHouseFanHouse is a sports website owned by AOL. Launched in September 2006, FanHouse is considered the Internet's most linked sports blog by aggregator BallHype, won Editor & Publisher's 2008 EPpy Award for "Best Sports Blog", and was named as a finalist for the award in 2009.In January 2009, FanHouse...
columnist marvels at Stevens' run to the National Championship game, arguing that his coaching style is the way of the future. - New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
contributor Steve Serby interviews Stevens, asking about his background and about the public's reaction to Butler's 2010 playoff run.
External links
- Official profile at ButlerSports.com
- Official profile at DePauw.edu