BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana can cross Brad Stevens off its list of coaching candidates.
Stevens told college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman Friday that he is not a candidate for the Indiana job.
“I thoroughly appreciate being a Celtic and love the people I get to work with every day,” Stevens told The Field of 68.
Stevens is the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, who won the 2024 NBA Finals and currently have the second best record in the Eastern Conference this season.
He has long been the dream hire for Indiana fans, given that he’s widely viewed as one of the best basketball minds at the NBA or college level. His ties to Indiana as a Zionsville, Ind., native, DePauw University graduate and two-time national runner-up at Butler add to fans’ desire to see him come home and coach the Hoosiers.
But Stevens has now turned down the Indiana job three times in the last eight years. As a result, Indiana turned to Archie Miller in 2017, but found itself looking for a new coach after zero NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.
Stevens said no to the Indiana job again in 2021, so the Hoosiers hired Mike Woodson. But after two NCAA Tournament appearances in two seasons, momentum has dwindled under Woodson, and he’ll step down after the 2024-25 season.
So where will Indiana look next? For the Indiana Hoosiers On SI list of potential coaching candidates, CLICK HERE.
