Woj: Indiana had lucrative offer ready for Brad Stevens
When the head coaching job for the Indiana University basketball program opened up last month, rumors started swirling instantly about Celtics coach Brad Stevens being considered. While the Celtics were in the middle of a slump, some wondered if Stevens’ eye might wander to the blue chip program in his home state.
Some suggested it would be too good of an opportunity for Stevens to pass up. Even as Stevens continuously denied the rumors, culminating with his now-famous “I’m a Masshole” comment, there were continued cries of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
While Stevens ultimately stayed with the Celtics, it turns out Indiana was incredibly aggressive in pursuing him. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hoosiers were “prepared to offer” Stevens a seven-year, $70 million contract. Yet despite that gaudy number, Stevens wasn’t ready to move on from the C’s.
“He did not entertain it,” Woj continued. “Leaving the Boston Celtics for a college job, it doesn’t make sense. He’s in that high-six-, low-seven-million-dollar-year range anyway.” Stevens had signed a new contract extension with the Celtics late last summer, although the exact details were not disclosed.
We’ll never know just how close – if at all – the Celtics came to needing a new head coach. However, fans of the team can learn two key pieces of information from the whole saga. First, that Brad Stevens is still viewed as a hot commodity in the coaching world, and second, that he’s deeply invested in the Celtics.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].
