North Carolina officially parted ways with head coach Hubert Davis on Tuesday, sparking speculation that the Tar Heels were looking to target Brad Stevens, the current president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, as their next head coach.
However, Stevens has officially ruled out any speculation that he would leave the Celtics to take the head coaching position at North Carolina, as reported by CBS Sports' Matt Norlander on Wednesday.
"Less than 12 hours after news broke that North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on Tuesday night, an expected but notable bit of clarity to the university's coaching search has already been communicated: Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has removed his name from consideration for the Tar Heels job, sources told CBS Sports," Norlander wrote.
Now that Stevens has decided against taking the head coach job in North Carolina, here are some takeaways to consider from his decision.
Stevens Could Be Looking To Stay In Boston For The Rest Of His Career
There is no doubt that Stevens has one of the best jobs in the NBA managing the Celtics, and this position might be too good for him to walk away from.
If Stevens were struggling in his position and on the verge of the Celtics considering parting ways with him, it would be a different story. Yet, he is one of the best presidents of operations in the NBA and has assembled one of the top three rosters in the league, with an NBA title to show for it.
This version of the Celtics isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, especially with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum under long-term contracts. Why would Stevens want to walk away from all the success he has built with those two players and the rest of the roster?
The Celtics are still in the middle of their journey with Brown and Tatum, and if Stevens can strengthen the roster over the next five to seven years, there’s a good chance Boston could walk away with a couple more championship rings.
Stevens Might Have No Desire To Coach Again
Many former coaches who take on personal roles in a front office are often at the end of their careers, or they may look back and consider transitioning into coaching again if they’re in the middle of their journey. It's possible Stevens may not want to coach again.
Stevens hasn't walked the sidelines since the 2020-21 season, and returning to the coaching world would have made a lot of sense, especially in North Carolina, where it's considered one of the best jobs in all of basketball.
The 49-year-old former head coach's lack of interest in the North Carolina job may indicate that he doesn't want to coach again. If he has no desire to take the helm with the Tar Heels, it seems likely that he doesn't want to return to college basketball at all. And if that's the case, why would he consider coaching in the NBA again unless it’s with the Celtics?
If Stevens gets his way in Boston, meaning he isn't fired for some reason, then it looks like he won't be returning to the sidelines anytime soon.
It would be absurd for him to leave his position with the Celtics to coach another team, especially when he already had one of the best head coaching jobs in the NBA, working with Tatum and Brown in Boston, the mecca of basketball.
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