Brad Stevens is a tremendous coach. Nick Nurse is a fantastic coach. The former has overseen a rebuild where the team remained competitive, only missing the playoffs once during his tenure. The latter arrived in his position tasked with propelling his team towards an elusive championship and succeeded with his first attempt.
Stevens took a traditional route to coach in the NBA, having played Division III basketball for DePauw University until 1999. He transitioned to coaching in 2001, joining the Butler Bulldogs as an assistant coach. Six years later, Stevens obtained the head coaching position at Butler, leading the team to three Horizon League championships and back-to-back NCAA national championship games.