IndyResident16

From what I’ve always been told by the one source whom I consider to be reliable, Stevens met with a few prominent figures at IU over dinner WHILE the Celtics were in Indianapolis to gauge interest in which he emphatically told them no thanks. This actually happened while Archie Miller was still employed. After Archie was fired, IU offered up a Hail Mary contract to at least say they tried knowing full and well he was going to reject it. Stevens to this day still denies that offer was ever made. Who knows what happened, but he’s not here and not ever coming here and you just don’t turn that kind of money down if you’re legitimately interested in returning college. Just like as an athletic department, you don’t go from legitimately making an offer to make BS the highest paid coach in the game to turning around and hiring 62 year old Mike Woodson 48 hours later. Theres no way Dolson went from BS to spinning the wheel and landing on Mike Woodson like that.

So what are you saying? Stevens was interested/wanted the job, turned down an offer to become the highest paid coach in college basketball history, flashed a number and IU couldn’t agree to terms? But they had him right? If I was Dolson, that’s exactly the story I’d have my PR team drum up if I went from potentially hiring Brad Stevens to ultimately hiring Mike Woodson 48 hours later. Obviously it worked.

In two months time, Beard will have taken his FOURTH different school to the NCAAT in an 8 year span. IU as a program has been twice in that same time frame. It’s unbelievable.

Trust me, I get it, it takes two to tango. But it’s a lot easier to get a guy who wants to be hereas opposed to one who doesn’t. All it takes is for one light bulb to turn on and he’s one call away. Until then, this program will continue to fall further and further into college basketball oblivion and you’ll still have people questioning as to why.

Self-destruction is a choice.

This was a great read when it was initially published but unfortunately now behind a paywall. There’s legitimately 20 names mentioned in the article from Calipari to Stevens to Jay Wright. They allegedly had “done deals” with Calipari, Rick Barnes, and Jamie Dixon. Reads like our last coaching search… https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-mick-cronin-coaching-search-20190429-story.html

Worth it, yes. But again, another coach who has no interest in competing in this landscape of college basketball. He retired from the pinnacle of basketball for a reason.

I think if the season goes off the rails there's more than a slim chance he resigns or retires. I think the IU administration could make things a lot better for him if they give him an incentive to retire. But no, I don't think he's going to be fired.

There's ZERO living college basketball player or recruit who has ever seen Indiana as an elite basketball program. Zilch, none, nada Our established "brand" has lead to nothing but mediocre results the better part of the last two decades. Chris Beard is probably one of two realistic candidates who can return Indiana to the height of that "brand" and he could do it rather quickly. I don't have anything against Dusty May. I actually like Dusty May. I think he could do very well at IU with emphasis on the word could. I wouldn't bet on it though. There's just as good of a chance as he's the next Archie Miller. If IU wants to be good in basketball again they'll hire Chris Beard (or Bruce Pearl) and they wouldn't have to think twice about it. But I get it.

As he should be, good on them. They would be dumb not to hire him. Same goes for anybody with a coaching vacancy. Just one more revived regional power that we'll have to deal with on a consistent basis.

The only reason Beard wouldn't be a candidate is because of IU's own undoing. It was the other way around with Stevens. Beard would leave Ole Miss before their season was over if it meant getting the job. He's as realistic as it gets in terms of interest. Ball is totally in IU's court however.

True. Brad Stevens denies he even received an offer. I believe it was Woj who broke the news that IU was prepared to make $70 million/10 year offer.

If Brad Stevens met with IU "in secret several times" and there was a number he wrote down and IU couldn't get to that number, the entire athletic administration needs to be burned to the ground. In reality, Brad Stevens turned down an offer that only somebody who had no interest in the job could refuse.

Understood. If IU wants to make it a point to at least be told no by Brad Stevens first before actually targeting a real candidate every single time the job becomes open, so be it. It's a waste of time however.

Likely to put to rest the idea of him ever coaching Indiana or in college again. If he wanted the Indiana job he'd have taken the $70 million and subsequently the job. Indiana threw the largest number possible at him and he said, "No thanks". If Indiana thought there was even a chance he'd consider, they would have come up with the number needed in a counter-offer.

See my post above. IU made Stevens an offer that only somebody who had no interest in returning to college could refuse.

IU made Stevens an offer that only somebody with no interest in returning to college could refuse. And guess what?.....He refused.

He turned down $70 million and the opportunity to be the highest paid coach in college basketball at his supposed "dream" school. If that doesn't speak to lack of interest then I don't know what else to tell you?

He's expressed ZERO interest in returning to this level of basketball. He was done the second he left 10 years ago. Brad Stevens to Indiana is more than a pipe dream at this point. He's not a realistic candidate.

It's been a very poor product for the better part of the last 10 years.

Bruce Pearl is 63 going on 43. He's about as personable as it gets and is always engaged with the fans and the media. I dated a gal in college whose brother played for Pearl and USI and got to see them a lot. Hasn't changed one bit.

Coached in the toughest conference in basketball. Beard wins and he wins quick. He doesn't need 2-3 years. You may not like the guy off the court, but his teams play the exact same way every one of us wants to see IU play, hard and smart and for a full 40 minutes. If the goal for Indiana basketball is to get back to the top, Chris Beard is an absolute no-brainer. From a pure coaching standpoint, IU isn't going to get somebody better.

Why is he still a premier candidate? He hasn't coached college basketball in a decade. Surely if he had any interest in returning to this level, some program like Duke or North Carolina who just had openings would have at least dialed the phone, no? He's got a comfy executive job coaching one of the most prolific professional franchises out there. Not everybody from Indiana who liked IU basketball 30 years ago as a kid has to take the job.

I'm still not sure what the huge draw to Stevens even is anymore? He hasn't coached collegiately in over a decade and has now been out of coaching 3 years altogether. He's always hinted that he's never been a huge fan of recruiting and I'm just not sure that would fly around here. Clearly he hasn't forgotten the game, but he's also not the young wonder boy he once was 15 years ago.

I don't think much of the anger is directed towards his play, rather his actions on the court. Playing poor for a stretch is one thing, acting like a goon (which is a choice) is another. Plenty of players go through droughts and don't act they way XJ does on the court. He's done nothing to help himself.