Brad Stevens not interested in college head coaching jobs

BOSTON — Brad Stevens made it clear he is not interested in leaving his role as the Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations for a college head coaching job, despite his name repeatedly appearing in NCAA men’s basketball circles.

“I mean, the whole idea of the coaching carousel being news is a little bit tiresome, but I get why in this day and age,” Stevens said.

North Carolina had Stevens at the top of its list of potential head coaching candidates, according to CBS Sports. Less than a day after the report surfaced, the Indiana native took his name out of contention. He did the same when Indiana’s post opened in 2025.

Stevens said he does not currently have an agent, joking that Tracy Stevens — his wife, who served as his agent — "still kind of helps me out, but I know that she's pretty reliable and confidential."

“I like being here,” Stevens said. “They've been great to me, and I haven't been seeking anything else.

“I'm not motivated to do anything but what I'm doing is the bottom line, and I'm really happy with the people we're around and everything else. That's been the best part about being here, and really, as you get to this age and stage, I think that's the motivator for me. I don't really have any other motivation than being around people that I want to be around.”

Stevens, who joined the Celtics as their head coach in 2013, got his start in basketball as an assistant coach with Butler in 2001. He quickly climbed up the program’s ranks, earning its head coaching title in 2007. He is regarded as one of the best college head coaches in NCAA history, leading a mid-major team to back-to-back National Championship appearances. He amassed a 166-49 record with Butler before leading the Celtics to a 354-282 mark in his eight seasons at the helm.

The Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference during the final week of the regular season. They will face the Hornets, who are a potential first-round matchup, on Tuesday.

“It's always flattering,” Stevens said. “I'm talking to people all year long, all around the game, because one of the joys of my job now is watching — whether it be in current front office roles — people leave and get promoted, ala (Utah President) Austin (Ainge), or when I was coaching and or part of the coaching staff, watching those guys get jobs. So I'm on the phone with a lot of those people all the way through the year that are in those decision-making processes."