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This came out of nowhere. The Boston Celtics just went into stealth mode in order to complete the signing of one of the best young coaches in college basketball, Brad Stevens. The Celtics released an official statement to announce the news on Wednesday evening. Adrian Wojnarowski later announced that the deal is contract is six years, $22 million.
Brad Stevens coached six seasons at Butler, leading them to a 166-49 record, and to two national title games in 2010 and 2011. He managed to have lots of success at Butler despite relatively weak recruiting classes compared to the likes of Kentucky and Duke. At only 36 years old, Stevens becomes the youngest coach in the NBA.
Danny Ainge spoke about Stevens' age in his statement released by the team, "Brad and I share a lot of the same values. Though he is young, I see Brad as a great leader who leads with impeccable character and a strong work ethic. His teams always play hard and execute on both ends of the court. Brad is a coach who has already enjoyed lots of success, and I look forward to working with him towards Banner 18."
Stevens is known for implementing complicated defensive schemes and has spent a great deal of time using analytics at Butler, which are just two reasons the Celtics may have had interest in him.
Brad Stevens will be introduced to the media on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Celtics Training Facility.