Stevens signs extension with Celtics

Brad Stevens, when asked about his tenure as a Celtics coach, has typically said he’ll be in the job for as long as they want him.

That sense of stability and continuity will continue, too, now that the team has announced a contract extension for their coach of the last seven seasons. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though based on the fact that Stevens is already fourth in total wins in franchise history behind only Red Auerbach, Tom Heinsohn and Doc Rivers, he’s already established a deep footprint in one of the greatest franchises in NBA history.

What separates the 43-year-old Stevens from the above three predecessors, of course, is a title, though the Celtics coach has yet another team poised for a deep playoff run. He’s had 48 regular season wins or more each of the last five seasons.

“Brad is one of the most intelligent and hard-working coaches in the game today,” said Celtics President Danny Ainge in a prepared statement. “More importantly, his character and integrity have contributed to a culture that we all highly value here. Brad is a great teammate, and a leader people want to follow. We are honored to have him with us as we continue to pursue our next championship.”

Though he’s often been rumored to be the choice at Duke to eventually succeed Mike Krzyzewski – he’s also been the longtime target of those praying for a revival of the program at Indiana – Stevens’ NBA path just got longer.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3gT2sEQ