Who Is Brad Stevens?
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Celtics introduced Brad Stevens as the franchise's 17th head coach on Friday, as he becomes the new face to lead them through the rebuilding process.
But who is Brad Stevens?
Stevens was well known in the college ranks as one of the young coaching stars of the NCAA after six highly-successful years at Butler, but is not as popular in Boston (not yet, at least). At 36, he'll become the youngest head coach in the NBA (yes, he's younger than former-Celtic Kevin Garnett), and might be mistaken for a grad student when walking around the streets of Boston -- at least for a few weeks.
Here are a few things to know about the newest head coach of the Boston Celtics:
- Stevens is known for pushing team-oriented basketball and placing an emphasis on defense. He is also a big believer of statistical analysis.
- Stevens' Bulldogs averaged 28 wins per season, and won 30 games twice.
-In his first year as head coach of the Bulldogs, Butler went 30-4 and finished the season ranked #11. They were the first team in school and Horizon League history to record 30 wins.
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- The 2009-10 Bulldogs posted a 33-5 overall record, the first team in the Horizon League to go 18-0 in conference play and fourth team overall to post an unbeaten record.
- Stevens is a two-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, in 2009 and 2010.
- Stevens led Butler to the school's first Final Four in 2010, losing to the Duke Blue Devils 61-59 in the NCAA Championship game. At 33, he was the second-youngest coach to lead his team to the NCAA Title game.
- The loss to Duke snapped a 25-game winning streak by the Bulldogs under Stevens, the longest win streak in school history.
- After leading the Bulldogs back to the Title game the following year, losing to UConn 53-41, the 34-year-old Stevens became the youngest coach to lead a team to a pair of Final Four appearances.
- Stevens finished his Butler career with a 166-49 record, with a 12-5 record in NCAA Tournament games.
- Stevens joined the Bulldogs' staff in 2000-01 after quitting his job as a marketing associate at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis.
- Stevens served as a volunteer capacity in Butler's basketball office during the summer of 2000, and was given a full-time administrative position under then-head coach, Thad Matta.
Read: Stevens "Thrilled For Opportunity" With Celtics
- Stevens grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, and like many boys growing up in Indy, fell in love with basketball at a young age.
- As a star player at Zionsville Community High School, Stevens wore #31 in honor of Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller.
- Stevens earned four varsity letters in basketball while at DePauw University, severing as team captain his senior year. He graduated in 1999 with a degree in Economics.
- Stevens and his wife, Tracy (his college sweetheart), have been married since 2003 and have two children, son Brady and daughter Kinsley.
- Stevens wife Tracy is also his agent. He joked on Friday that he was the only person in sports that gives his agent "100-percent of his paycheck."
