Brad Stevens took over Butler University’s basketball program at an interesting time in the career of Billy Donovan.
The then-Florida coach had just won his second straight NCAA title. The Gators program, basking in success, responded with an outreach to coaches across the country in the form of a summer retreat in Florida.
Many of these coaches, including Stevens, were featured speakers. He barely knew Donovan — mostly as an observer from afar. The previous spring, Stevens was an assistant on the Butler team that lost in the Sweet 16 to Florida and its power trio of Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah.