One major former college coach rules himself out of Indiana HC sweepstakes

Speculation surrounding the heir to Mike Woodson's throne as the Indiana men's basketball coach will linger throughout the rest of the season. But we're quickly learning who won't be in the running for the gig via the process of elimination.

First, Michigan's Dusty May (mostly) shut the door on leaving the Wolverines for his alma mater. And now, the Hoosier State's own Brad Stevens has reportedly removed himself from the running.

Stevens "[isn't] a candidate" for the Indiana gig, he told Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68. Moreover, the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations publically expressed his elation with his current situation and desire to stay put.

"I thoroughly appreciate being a Celtics and love the people I get to work with every day," Stevens stated (h/t Goodman).

Brad Stevens rules himself out of Indiana HC sweepstakes

Another one bites the dust for Indiana. The search for the program's next leader is on with Woodson stepping down following the 2024-25 campaign, though Stevens won't be a part of it. While Celtics fans can rejoice, this is disappointing news for Hoosier Nation.

Notably, Stevens is a Zionsville native. He grew up in Indiana and attended DePauw University, getting four years of Division III basketball experience from 1995 to 1999. Before his rise to the NBA ranks, the 48-year-old made a name for himself as the head coach at Butler University.

At Butler, Stevens went 166-49 in six seasons, leading the school to five NCAA Tournament appearances. The Bulldogs made two consecutive improbable national championship runs in 2010 and 2011 but fell short against collegiate powerhouses, Duke and UConn, respectively.

After a remarkably successful stint at Butler, Stevens took his talents to the Association. From 2013 to 2021, he initially spent eight seasons as Boston's head coach before settling into his front-office role. With him on the sidelines, the Celtics went 354-282, including seven postseason bids and three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals.

With Stevens as a coach, the Celtics fared well. Yet, they've flourished with him as the organization's lead exec, claiming the title of the league's reigning champion. Boston is among the favorites to win this season and in a position to succeed long-term, so his desire to stay is plausible.