Brunt: Brad Stevens’ young college coaching career stacked up favorably vs. legends
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
There are numerous ways to measure Brad Stevens’ greatness and multiple ways to opine about the gigantic shoes Brandon Miller must fill as Butler’s new coach.
I could talk about Stevens’ two national title game appearances, or the way his program earned attention and respect in an IU-leaning city while never gaining it from anything but his team’s play.
I could mention that Stevens’ Bulldogs beat No. 1-ranked Indiana on a neutral floor this past season with a far less talented team.
I could mention that Butler hosted ESPN’s College GameDay this year, a sure-fire sign that Butler has emerged as one of the big boys. And Butler didn’t just host a party — the Bulldogs beat Gonzaga that night in one of the most memorable games of the college basketball season.
I could also mention that in just two years, on Stevens’ watch, Butler leaped to bigger and better conferences twice.
But I think there’s one way to put it all in perspective. Yes, Stevens accomplished more than many coaches will in their entire careers during his six years as Butler’s head coach.
But how does he stack up against the all-time greats? How does he compare, at the same point in his career, to guys like Pitino, Smith, Krzyzewski, Wooden, Knight, Izzo and Keady?
Stevens took over as Butler’s coach at age 30 and now is only 36 years old as he heads for Boston and the NBA. For perspective, I will summarize what some of the other great coaches in college basketball history accomplished at similar ages.
Stevens gets credit for not having to jump to a bigger school to make his mark. He started at a mid-major, stayed and made it a college basketball powerhouse. Stevens went 166-49 with a .722 winning percentage. He won 30 games in his first season and in two of his first three.
Now, to be fair, Stevens took over an established program. Barry Collier, Thad Matta and Todd Lickliter put a great foundation in place at Butler. And Stevens’ winning percentage is a bit inflated because his team played in a relatively weak conference (Horizon League) for much of his tenure.
The bottom line is when Stevens got his cracks at the big boys, he handled business more often than not. And that puts him in this story with the biggest names ever.
Here are the coaches we’ll compare him to:
Bobby Knight, Indiana
Knight was 35 when he won the first of his three national championships at Indiana in 1976. He began his head coaching career at Army in 1965 and stayed there for six seasons before heading to Bloomington. Knight’s success rate before his 37th birthday is similar to that of Stevens.
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
Krzyzewski was 33 when he took over at Duke and 39 when he took the Blue Devils to the Final Four for the first time. He won his first national title at age 44, his first of four. Though many consider Krzyzewski the best college coach alive, Stevens ascended more quickly.
Dean Smith, North Carolina
Smith took over as North Carolina’s coach in 1961 at age 30. He reached his first Final Four in 1968 at age 36, but to his credit, he also got there the next two years. He won his first national title in 1982 at age 51. Smith’s early career is comparable to Stevens’ run at Butler.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Izzo has been one of the great head coaches in college basketball history, but he didn’t become a college head coach until 1995, when he was 40 years old. He was an assistant at Michigan State from 1983 to 1995. This is a no contest.
John Wooden, UCLA
For a variety of reasons, Wooden didn’t start in the college coaching ranks until he was in his mid 30s. He played professionally, then was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He coached two years at Indiana State before taking over at UCLA. He reached his first Final Four in 1962 at age 51. As great as the Wizard of Westwood was, he didn’t start off as hot as Stevens.
Rick Pitino, Providence/Kentucky/Louisville
Pitino was 34 when he led Providence to the Final Four in 1986. He was 43 when he won his first national title as Kentucky’s coach (1996). Though he was extremely successful as a young coach, he never won 30 games until the 1992-93 season, after he had already turned 40. Advantage: Stevens.
Gene Keady, Purdue
The Purdue legend began his head coaching career at age 42 and took over the Purdue program at age 44. Keady’s trail to coaching at a major program is typical, and there’s nothing wrong with it. He was one of the most successful coaches in college basketball for many years. But he wasn’t a prodigy.
My point in all this is, even the very best college coaches in history were at best similar in accomplishment to Stevens at the same point in their careers. Though it is true that few coaches get the chance Stevens got at Butler at such a young age, fewer take the opportunity and do as much with it.
The mid-major thing is the most impressive. In a state that includes Indiana and Purdue, Stevens consistently found enough players to win. Everybody talks about IU and Purdue around here between November and February, with Butler always seeming to be an afterthought. With all due respect to IU and Purdue, more than any other program in this state, folks have talked about Brad Stevens and Butler in March in recent years.
In a state filled with coaching legends, Stevens already is a solid addition to that list. No matter what he does in Boston, Stevens will be remembered for a special college coaching career that people will talk about around here 50 years from now. On a national scale, we might never in our lifetimes again see a young coach accomplish so much in so little time.
He was that good.
Good luck in the NBA, coach Stevens.
And good luck following that, coach Miller.
