Hoosiers Now

Indiana Native Brad Stevens Replaces Danny Ainge in Celtics' Front Office

Brad Stevens was named the Celtics' President of Basketball Operations after eight seasons as the team's head coach. He was at the center of Indiana basketball rumors after the program fired Archie Miller in March.

D.J. Fezler

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Brad Stevens is moving on from his head coaching position with the Boston Celtics. After suffering a first-round exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Stevens replaces Danny Ainge as the team's President of Basketball Operations, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I'm grateful to ownership and to Danny for trusting me with this opportunity," Stevens said in a statement from the Celtics. "I'm excited to tackle this new role, starting with a wide ranging and comprehensive search for our next head coach. I love the Celtics, and know the great honor and responsibility that comes with this job. I will give it everything I have to help us be in position to consistently compete for championships."

Ainge, 62, announced his resignation after serving as an executive in the organization since 2003. He helped pair Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett with Paul Pierce, which led to the Celtics' last NBA Championship title in 2008.

The move earned Ainge the honor of being named NBA Executive of the Year.

"Helping guide this organization has been the thrill of a lifetime, and having worked side-by-side with him since he's been here, I know we couldn't be in better hands than with Brad guiding the team going forward," Ainge said in a statement from the Celtics. "I'm grateful to ownership, all of my Celtics colleagues, and the best fans in basketball for being part of the journey."

Stevens has been the Celtics' head coach since 2013 and led the team to the playoffs in seven straight seasons. Boston finished the 2020-21 season 36-36 before its playoff defeat.

Before his current stint with the Celtics, Stevens coached six seasons at Butler. He led the Bulldogs to their first pair of Final Four appearances and back-to-back NCAA Championship runs in 2010 and 2011. Butler finished as the runner-up in both years.

Stevens earned a 166-49 overall record at Butler, a .772 winning percentage. He knows how important basketball is in this state. Stevens is a Zionsville, Indiana native and grew up rooting for the Hoosiers.

So when Indiana University fired Archie Miller in March, Stevens was at the center of the rumors surrounding the program's coaching search. Although, he quickly shut those theories down.

Stevens soaked up the adulation but said he wouldn't leave his position in Boston to coach college basketball again.

Since then, Indiana and Stevens have both forged ahead in different directions. The Hoosiers hired a Hoosier in former New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson on March 29.

And now, Stevens will spearhead a coaching search of his own with the Boston Celtics. It will be the organization's third coach since 2004.

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  • HOOSIERS' NEW LOOK: A roster full of better shooters should provide a new look on the floor for Indiana's basketball team next season, Mike Woodson's first as the head coach of the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE 
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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for HoosiersNow.com. He is a 2021 Hilltop30 Scholarship Fund recipient.

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