Will Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan Reopen Coaching Pipeline Between NCAA and NBA?
There may be a movement afoot in the NBA coaching ranks.
That is, if you put any stock in the pop wisdom of TED Talks. In his presentation, Derek Sivers, the founder and former president of CD Baby, proclaimed, "The first follower is what translates a lone nut into a leader."
In this case, that "lone nut" is the Boston Celtics, who went out on a limb to hire Brad Stevens away from Butler University in the summer of 2013. Stevens' arrival in Boston ended a six-year drought in the coaching pipeline between the NCAA and the NBA.
The C's no longer seem strange for having turned that spigot back on. Stevens has proven more than capable of coaching at the pro level, particularly after leading the hodgepodge Celtics to 40 wins and a playoff berth in his second season.
By Sivers' definition, the true test of the leadership of Danny Ainge, the Celtics' president of basketball operations, may have less to do with Stevens' subsequent success and more to do with the Oklahoma City Thunder (i.e. the first follower) and their path forward with Billy Donovan.
The longtime University of Florida head coach who was recently hired to replace the deposed Scott Brooks could become the latest canary in the coal mine when it comes to college coaches making the leap to the NBA.
Once upon a time, plucking hot names out of the collegiate ranks was common practice in the NBA. Between 1993 and 2007, eight of the NCAA's leading men were tapped for similar jobs at basketball's highest level—not including Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who's been at the helm of Team USA since 2006.
The NCAA-to-NBA coaching bubble burst thereafter, and for good reason. Per CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, those eight aforementioned college-to-pro coaches (Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Mike Montgomery, Lon Kruger, Tim Floyd, P.J. Carlesimo, Reggie Theus and Leonard Hamilton) combined to post a record of 559-900 (.383 winning percentage), with a 3-12 playoff mark.
| Rick Pitino | Celtics | 1997-2001 | 102-146 | --- |
| John Calipari | Nets | 1996-99 | 72-112 | 0-3 |
| P.J. Carlesimo | Trail Blazers | 1994-97 | 136-109 | 3-9 |
| Tim Floyd | Bulls | 1998-2002 | 49-190 | --- |
| Lon Kruger | Hawks | 2000-03 | 69-122 | --- |
| Reggie Theus | Kings | 2007-09 | 44-62 | --- |
| Leonard Hamilton | Wizards | 2000-01 | 19-63 | --- |
| Mike Montgomery | Warriors | 2004-06 | 68-96 | --- |
Concurrently, college coaches have enjoyed an explosion in the size of their salaries—one that's dovetailed with the growth of power conferences and the flow of TV and media rights money into the coffers of colleges and universities. As Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski pointed out:
"The Missouri Valley Conference has a school, Wichita State, paying its coach, Gregg Marshall, $3.3 million a season. That's a mid-major conference paying more than most coaches who advanced to the NBA playoffs this year, including the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors and more.
"
To be sure, these factors didn't stop NBA general managers from reaching out to college coaches. Nor did they prevent said coaches from fielding calls and offers.
Donovan was the coach of the Orlando Magic for a day in 2007, before he decided to stay in Gainesville. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo turned down the Cleveland Cavaliers job in 2010, mere weeks prior to LeBron James' decision.
Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers made a pass at North Carolina's Roy Williams a decade after pursuing Coach K at Kobe Bryant's behest, while the Cavs threw everything but the kitchen sink at Calipari to lure him away from Lexington.
At first glance, then, all that separates Donovan from the latter group is his acceptance of an offer, and from the former, his lack of any pro record that might otherwise besmirch his good name within the coaching community.
But among those who've transitioned from the NCAA to the NBA, Donovan and his situation are unique.
No college coach has ever had such a high level of talent at his disposal—and, in turn, such lofty expectations overhead—as Donovan will in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder, when healthy, will feature two of the sport's true superstars (Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook), a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate (Serge Ibaka) and a slew of promising, young role players (Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Dion Waiters, Mitch McGary and Andre Roberson).
Not to mention whomever general manager Sam Presti decides to add with the team's lottery pick.
Given the success the Thunder enjoyed under Brooks (five straight playoff appearances, three trips to the Western Conference Finals and one NBA Finals berth) and the impending free-agent forays that await Durant in 2016 and Westbrook in 2017, Donovan will be tasked with guiding this team back into title contention from Day 1.
"Billy’s going into a totally different situation from the standpoint of their expectation level. Assuming their health is good, it will be really high," Stevens told The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
"There’s challenges that come with that and positives that come with that. I think he’ll handle it great. I don’t think it’s as much a background as a college coach or NBA coach or high school coach. He’s a really good coach. All of that other stuff you can throw out with him. He’s just an impressive guy."
Donovan's resume is certainly impressive. He's arguably the most decorated coach to leave behind the controlled confines of college for the realm of big money and even bigger egos.
He's the first two-time NCAA tournament champion to come to the NBA in a head-coaching capacity. Only Jerry Tarkanian and Celtics-era Rick Pitino could match Donovan's four Final Fours, and only Tark and Mike Montgomery came to the NBA with more than Donovan's 502 collegiate victories.
As far as the NBA is concerned, those comparisons aren't exactly flattering. Pitino struggled with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. Montgomery failed to lead the Golden State Warriors to the playoffs during his two-season stint after a tremendous tenure at Stanford. Tarkanian lasted 20 games with the San Antonio Spurs in 1992-93 and used his settlement with the team to fund a lawsuit against the NCAA.
What may truly set Donovan apart from his peers (including Pitino, his mentor) is the same thing that's allowed Stevens to thrive in Beantown: his personality. As Wojnarowski wrote, Donovan isn't the sort of college demagogue that the NBA has eaten alive so many times before:
"Several NBA coaches who know Donovan well believe he has the perfect blend of acumen and humility to make the transition to the pros. Pitino had two fatal flaws in his doomed run as emperor of the Boston Celtics: He was too impulsive with personnel decisions; and too vain to accept that the players are the stars. ...
Presti is hiring Donovan for his presence and leadership, a tough, but empathetic style that leans far closer to strong-willed than maniacal. Donovan's strength is on the offensive end, and now coach and GM search together for a defensive coordinator with strong schemes and a system that makes stops.
"
Stevens has succeeded so far, in part by being something of an anti-Pitino. With him, there's no bombast or bravado, no proclamations about Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish not walking through the door.
He hasn't pushed for control over personnel decisions—not with Ainge, one of the league's premier GMs, at the controls—and has emphasized coaching to his players' strengths rather than forcing them to conform to any rigid dictates of his own.
Per Washburn, "What happened was the players began understanding that Stevens wanted the best for them and didn’t carry biases from their previous NBA stops. Players such as Evan Turner, Jonas Jerebko, and Gigi Datome were thrilled with fresh opportunities."
Moreover, Stevens surrounded himself with a diverse coaching staff. He kept Jay Larranaga and Jamie Young, whose positions with the C's predated Stevens' arrival, and brought in Walter McCarty, a former Celtic who had been an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, as well as Micah Shrewsberry, who'd coached with Stevens at Butler.
There's been no indication yet as to whom Donovan will hire to help him or if he'll retain any of Brooks' assistants. What's clear, though, is that Presti, not Donovan, will be in charge of shaping the roster and running the organization.
That may be the way to go with college coaches: let them do the cooking, and make sure they trust the GMs that hire them to get the ingredients.
While some veterans of NBA benches (like Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Flip Saunders, Stan Van Gundy, Mike Budenholzer) have consolidated organizational power, those new to the pros would seem well-advised to acclimate themselves to the league before so much as broaching the topic of personnel control.
Either way, strong organizational backing will likely be key to whatever success Donovan and other college-bred coaches enjoy in the NBA, just as it's been for Stevens.
"You had to go to a place that had a track record sticking by their people and understanding that it’s a process," Stevens said of choosing to leave Butler for Boston. "Obviously these guys had that, so the ultimate selling point for me was the fact I felt very supported from Day 1."
In Donovan's case, having Thunder management behind him will be crucial, with so much uncertainty surrounding the futures of Durant and Westbrook in Oklahoma City.
"Whatever decision that he has to make, I feel very, very strongly about the organization, and about Sam and Mr. Bennett and the commitment, and I think a lot of those things probably line up with Kevin and how he feels," Donovan said at his introductory press conference (via ESPN's Royce Young).
There will be others who follow in Stevens and Donovan's refreshing footsteps.
Kevin Ollie, who played with Durant and Westbrook in the 2009-10 season and won an NCAA title at UConn in 2014, was floated as a possible fit for the Thunder job. Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg, a 10-year NBA veteran in his own right, could be the next coach of the Chicago Bulls if they part ways with Tom Thibodeau this summer, per ESPN's Marc Stein.
Surely, other names will pop up. Some will get hired, some won't. Some will succeed, others won't. That's how it goes in the coaching world, especially at the highest levels of basketball.
But if Stevens continues to thrive in Boston and Donovan does the same in Oklahoma City, they may find themselves, perhaps unwittingly, at the forefront of a movement that lands more college coaches in NBA jobs—and with better results than their predecessors.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
