The UCLA Bruins have quickly turned from firing Ben Howland to finding their next head coach and the school has targeted Butler Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens as their man.
According to ESPN.com, sources said that the Bruins have looked at Stevens as their primary candidate to take over for Howland, who was fired after 10 seasons as head coach. Howland took the team to three straight Finals Fours from 2006 to 2008, but the team had a few disappointing seasons since then and lost to Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament last week.
ESPN contacted Stevens after the news came out and he said he remained the coach of Butler and that he wouldn't speak about "any other speculation or situation." UCLA has started its coaching search, although the only statement from the Bruins is from athletic director Dan Guerrero said that the school would "not comment on the process, the candidates, or provide status updates."
Butler lost 74-72 to Marquette last weekend in the NCAA Tournament and following the news about Stevens, the school provided no further information about the situation. Stevens has long been a target for schools as a possible head coach since taking Butler to back-to-back national title games in 2010 and 2011, but he has rebuffed all of those offers. Shaka Smart of VCU has dealt with similar interest since taking his team to the Final Four, but he also has stuck with his school, signing an extension that will keep him at Virginia Commonwealth until 2023.
Although the Bruins have prime facilities and a prestigious history, going after Stevens will not be easy and it is likely he will stay at Butler, as he is originally from Indiana and also attended college there. After taking Butler to the national championship in 2010 he was pursued for jobs at Oregon and Clemson, but he decided to stay with Butler and signed an extension that takes him to the 2022 season.
The biggest advantage UCLA has over Butler is with money, as Howland made over $2 million per season and Stevens is paid about $1 million. The Bruins are looking at a number of coaches for the job search, including former assistants Mark Gottfried and Lorenzo Romar, as well as coaches with NBA coaching experience.
