So, excuse me while I put on my tin foil hat...but I think this confirms that Stevens was reallllllyyyyyyy close to coaching IU. I believe his wife let him know the constant traveling of the NBA had to stop, and if he was going to continue coaching, it was going to be near her family in Indiana. I think Stevens accepted the IU position, and then, was informed Ainge would be stepping down and the position was his. I can't blame him for taking it. I agree with @rayl456 He's got an Econ background and probably wants to try his hand on the executive side for a bit.
Of course, Coach K announcing his retirement after next year is interesting....and I hope that Stevens never sets foot on Duke's campus except as IU's new head coach, a decade from now, to continue Woodson's astounding legacy of delivering 5 championships in 10 years.