Every time a new high-profile college basketball job becomes available, there is one name that always draws plenty of interest: Brad Stevens.
Following North Carolina's decision to fire head coach Hubert Davis, Stevens' name once again made the rounds as a potential candidate for the UNC job.
New transfer target emerges as No. 1 focus for Darian DeVries and Indiana
However, Stevens has already removed himself from consideration for the head coaching job in Chapel Hill. That isn't necessary a surprise, as he hasn't shown much interest in returning to the college coaching ranks despite his name being linked to several high-profile jobs over the past few seasons.
UNC fans are learning that lesson the hard way, and the Tar Heels now have to shift their focus in their head coaching search. That's a feeling Indiana fans know all too well, as the Hoosiers have pursued Stevens multiple times since he left Butler.
NEWS: Brad Stevens—who was atop the list of targets—has already removed himself from consideration for the UNC job, sources told @CBSSports. No surprise of course, but notable all the same as Carolina starts its search to replace Hubert Davis.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 25, 2026
Story: https://t.co/CJy6517vfF
UNC fans learn harsh Brad Stevens lesson that is all too familiar for Indiana fans
The Indiana job has become available three different times since Stevens left Butler in 2012. IU hired Archie Miller in 2017, Mike Woodson in 2021, and Darian DeVries in 2025. Stevens' name appeared as a candidate in all three searches, but he turned the Hoosiers down each time.
Stevens has plenty of ties to Indiana. He was born and raised in Zionsville, and was a star player at Zionsville Community High School. He then played four years of collegiate basketball at DePauw in Greencastle.
Stevens spent his childhood attending Hoosier games at Assembly Hall with his father, who was an offensive lineman for the IU football team in the 1960's and was part of the Hoosiers’ 1968 Rose Bowl team.
Hoosier fans were disappointed that those Indiana ties weren't enough to lure Stevens away from the NBA ranks. He seems comfortable in his current role with the Celtics, and after removing his name from the North Carolina job search, seems content to stay where he is for the foreseeable future.
Stevens famously led the Butler Bulldogs to back-to-back National Championship games in 2010 and 2011 before becoming the head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2013. He moved to an executive role as Boston's Director of Basketball Operations in 2022, and was a key decision-maker for the Celtics' 2024 title run.