Why Does Butler Bulldogs Coach Brad Stevens Keep Coming Back?


Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

There ain’t no party like a coaching search party because a coaching search party don’t stop — or something like that.

In all seriousness, seriously, when a university is looking for their next head coach, it always seems to boil down to a few simple things. If the program is considered a “big program” then it is about money, power and respect as well as possibly reclaiming their proper place on top of the mountain as a power player in college hoops.

That is why after every season is done, the same names keep being mentioned for jobs. We don’t even need to wait until next season to know that “team x” will be pursing Shaka Smart and/or Brad Stevens. Then, like dust in the wind, those rumors will just got blown away as both coaches will turn down what other people think are better jobs.

The idea that these other universities are offering the two (Stevens more so for this example) better jobs can be kind of laughable. Who are we to tell them which job they will like more. Is the Butler Bulldogs offering that much less money to Stevens the he has to listen to other offers? I would bet whatever money he would be missing out on would be more than made up for in his university’s tempered and fair expectations.

That is right. Mid-major coaches are staying put for a few simple reasons. The money between mid-majors and the big boys is no longer that different, they can now compete for Final Four runs being at a mid-major and — most importantly — they can have a job where people are not calling for their heads on a stick because they “only” won a regular season conference title.

Insert clever music lyric thingamabob here.

 

Joe is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JosephNardone


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