The most popular man in every high-profile coaching search still isn’t interested in returning to college hoops.

Less than 12 hours after news broke that North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on Tuesday night, an expected but notable bit of clarity to the university’s coaching search has already been communicated: Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has removed his name from consideration for the Tar Heels job, sources told CBS Sports.

Source: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/north-carolina-coaching-search-brad-stevens-updates/

UNC obviously had to ask but not surprising Brad is not interested.

joebos617 | BOS

127 | 3 hours ago

The one nice thing I will say about Kyrie Irving’s time here is that it broke Brad’s desire to coach and eventually led to him being a top 3 GM

LarBrd33

20 | 3 hours ago

He coached a couple seasons after kyrie left but I think covid took a toll. After kyrie left, they made the ECF during the bubble but the season after they were dealing with various injuries and guys like Tatum seemed gassed. May have been long COVID. 36-36 record. Brad seemed like he wasn’t getting through to the guys anymore and they needed a new voice. Ainge “quit” after some problematic comments surfaced. In the aftermath, the team explicitly was looking for a black coach so Brad moved up and they hired Ime.

The big thing that happened after that was Tatum was now at the age (23) when superstar prospects typically reach superstardom and he rattled off 4 straight 1st team all-nba seasons. They likely would have bounced back from that trash season no matter what.

bosbi62

13 | 3 hours ago

I think Tatum definitely had long COVID. He even said he developed asthma later and he uses an inhaler now.

driatic | Wizards

3 | an hour ago

Does anyone recall what those problematic comments were?

I can’t remember. I vaguely remember him being involved in a “scandal” but I dont think it was talked about a lot.

…..Unlike Ime Udoka’s scandal though, everyone knows what he did.

jkwah | Celtics

4 | an hour ago

At one point Kyrie commented that he’d heard racist comments from fans when playing in Boston and Aingle seemingly tried to downplay it.

Danny probably would have stepped down after that season anyway as he had recently suffered a heart attack and his family was in Utah but his comments did probably leave a sour taste with the team.

“I think that we take those kinds of things seriously,” Ainge told Boston’s 98.5 on a weekly radio hit. “I never heard any of that that from any player that I’ve ever played with in my 26 years in Boston.

“I never heard that before from Kyrie, and I talk to him quite a bit. I don’t know. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter. We’re just playing basketball. Players can say what they want.”

Marcus Smart has a different take. The seven-season NBA veteran has played his entire career with the Celtics. He backed up the concerns of his ex-teammate Thursday.

“I’ve heard a couple of them,” Smart said of racist remarks from Boston fans, per The Athletic. “It’s kind of sad and sickening because even though it’s an opposing team, we have guys on your home team that you’re saying these racial slurs, and you’re expecting us to go out there and play for you.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/danny-ainge-claims-i-never-heard-any-of-that-in-response-to-kyrie-irvings-racism-concerns-in-boston-003253244.html

driatic | Wizards

1 | 19 minutes ago

Lol ok now it’s coming back to me.

Players have been complaining about Boston Celtics fans since the 50s, and that hasnt changed all that much.

Bill Russel had a very complicated experience and relationship with the Boston fans. They broke into his house and took a shit on his bed.

I get that it was a long time ago but it’s obviously still a part of the culture. Ainge was not ignorant to this, glad he’s not a coach anymore.

joebos617 | BOS

2 | an hour ago

I know it happened a couple years later but I remember one postgame presser after a lifeless loss I think against Milwaukee that year where he basically said “I don’t know what to tell you guys anymore I know this ain’t working”

OdaDdaT | Pistons

5 | an hour ago

Feel like he was always bound to be a GM. He was still an excellent coach but Roster Construction and development was really how he made his name at Butler. Now that he’s as good as being a front office guy as he is too I doubt he has much of an incentive to get back on the sidelines.

Some coaches live and breathe the game and are really incapable of functioning without it (Mazzulla for example) and Stevens never struck me as one of those guys.

Exzqairi | Pistons

3 | 3 hours ago

Kyrie left Boston in summer 2019

Brad Stevens became GM in summer 2021

jg_92_F1 | Pistons

1 | 27 minutes ago

What does government mean to you?

I_Set_3_Alarms | Celtics

1 | 29 minutes ago

Craziest thing is that when Kyrie was the most team player is on the Mavs team, yet somehow that team still imploded and their best player traded away without him being at fault at all

AutographedSnorkel | Rockets

39 | 3 hours ago

He turned down $10 million a year from Indiana. I really don’t blame him. College sports is essentially pro sports now, except you have to deal with 17 year old kids instead of adults

KontraEpsilon

20 | 3 hours ago

And their parents, and the boosters.

wobbleboxsoldier

1 | 26 minutes ago

In the NBA, you deal with their spouses, baby mamas and the team owners. ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ really.

AssCrackBandit10

1 | 21 minutes ago

No NBA GM is dealing with spouses or baby mamas, that assignment goes to someone waaay down on the totem pole

thepeachgod | Celtics

5 | 3 hours ago

A lot of it just depends on coaching style and your personality. If Brad left I’d be pretty distraught but he’s also only 49 and was really good as a college and professional coach. Plus you have guys like Pitino and Calipari who seem taylor made to deal with teenagers as opposed to grown adults

OralFixation4567

15 | 3 hours ago

Fastest no in history

asonkidd

18 | 3 hours ago

Local man turns down doing more hands on work with far less pay

jbuhl35 | Wizards

10 | 3 hours ago

He should just have an email auto reply that says “no” for any message containing the words “head coach interest”

nugentismycenter | Pistons

8 | 3 hours ago

I know its North Carolina but that seems like a downgrade job wise. More work with less job security.

Shepher27 | Timberwolves

3 | an hour ago

Why would anyone leave their job as a successful POBO of the Boston Celtics for a job dealing with NIL, Collectives, Recruiting, Transfer portals, and 18 year old kids and their overbearing dads?

ghostofabhelmet | Thunder

2 | 3 hours ago

I don’t really deeply follow the Celtics but would Brad ever consider going back to coaching or does he seem pretty content with a front office role?

ImportantHeft

10 | 3 hours ago

Indiana has tried to pry him back multiple times and he’s said no everytime, so I think he’s done with coaching at least until his kids are out of the house if not permanently

arika_ito

2 | 2 hours ago

I’m still always surprised at how young he stepped out of the coaching role. I know he’s done extremely well in the front office but I always think of coaches practicing well into their late 60s and beyond

jkwah | Celtics

9 | 3 hours ago

The general consensus is that Brad got burned out by the day-to-day grind of coaching and much prefers the front office team building role.

I don’t think anyone really knows if he would truly consider going back to coaching so can’t say he would never consider it.

Efficient_Art_1144 | Celtics

1 | 2 hours ago

Id imagine if he wants to go back to coaching he can walk into an nba job. I doubt he’d want to try NIL era college ball

RecordReal123

-1 | 3 hours ago

If the bag is big enough no man is content

Master_Succotash_506 | Celtics

2 | 2 hours ago

Phew, I don’t think I need to see another Boston sports team legend leave for North Carolina.

BusinessWarthog6 | Hornets

1 | 3 hours ago

As a UNC (and Duke hater) I hope they stay in the Carolina family and hire Sean May

-xXxMangoxXx- | Raptors

1 | an hour ago

To the shock of absolutely no one.

nath999

1 | 33 minutes ago

Why would you leave President of an NBA team to coach in college again?

BigStrongPolarGuy

1 | 4 minutes ago

It really is kind of crazy that one of the best coaches, who had proven himself as a top coach in both college and pro, just stopped coaching when he turned 45. I can’t really think of anyone else who has done that. He’ll probably spend 30 years getting offers.

JoJonesy | Celtics

0 | an hour ago

breaking news: water wet

[Norlander] Brad Stevens quickly removes himself from consideration in North Carolina’s coaching search