NBA: Ranking every active head coach by playing career

Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 21. Brad Stevens

From a small town known as Zionsville Indiana, Brad Stevens developed a love for basketball before he even made it to middle school. He was named to the varsity team for his high school, Zionsville Community High School, as a freshman. He finished his high school career as the school’s all-time leader in points per game, total points, assists and steals. He made the all-conference team three times and was the sectional MVP in his senior season.

Stevens attended DePauw University, where he earned four varsity letters and was the captain of the team during his senior season. He averaged more than eight points per game in three of his four seasons and had already picked up coaching during the summers and transitioned immediately after college.

After one year as a volunteer, he became a full-time assistant at Butler University, where he would ultimately take over head coaching duties once then-head coach Todd Lickliter accepted an offer from the University of Iowa. His overall tenure at Butler was a resounding success, losing in the National Championship game in consecutive seasons. He coached the Bulldogs for two more years before surprisingly leaving for the NBA. Despite his prolonged success with the Boston Celtics, fans still have questions, even though they certainly should not.