Butler’s next chapter has a familiar stamp on it: Brad Stevens is publicly backing Ronald Nored.
The Bulldogs posted a statement from Stevens on social media, congratulating Nored on taking the reins of the program. It’s the kind of endorsement that lands with extra weight in a basketball culture where people remember the details—who recruited you, where you came from, what kind of teammate you were.
Stevens recruited Nored out of Homewood High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Nored started 125 of his 143 games for the Bulldogs from 2008-12, and while he was never a big scorer (5.8 average), he kept the team organized and tenaciously defended the perimeter as they reached the 2010 and ’11 national championship games. Actually, when you think about it, that “not a big scorer” line is almost the point—Nored’s value sounded like something you felt more than something you’d always see on a highlight reel.
Stevens coached Butler from 2007-13, compiling a 166-49 record before moving to the NBA’s Boston Celtics, first as coach and now as team president. So when he talks about Nored, it doesn’t sound like casual congratulations; it sounds like recognition from someone who’s been in the same building and watched the same kind of players develop.
Butler named Nored to succeed Thad Matta on March 25. The program framed it as a natural handoff, and the timing matters too—after Matta’s retirement following the 2025-26 season, the Bulldogs are choosing a coach who already knows what a Butler roster can look like when the culture is right. During a press conference at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Nored was introduced as the 25th Butler University men’s basketball coach Friday, March 27, 2026.
What Stevens recalled, though, was the recruitment moment—one you could picture even without being there. “I’ll never forget driving down to Birmingham, Alabama, and meeting in that small room in Homewood High School.” He walked out “not necessarily knowing how good of a player you would be,” but knowing, in his words, “that you were the perfect Bulldog.” Around the statement there’s a whole vibe of certainty that’s hard to fake.
In the end, Stevens doubled down on leadership. He said, “As your high school coach told me: ‘there’s no better leader that he’s ever been around.’” He added that it was clear “from day one, when you walked into Butler, that you had a special ability to lead and to galvanize the room.” Then—maybe the most practical kind of praise—he described Nored as “one of the best leaders I ever saw on the court” and
“certainly one of the best that I have ever been around.” Butler echoed the sentiment with a simple, loud sign-off—“Go Dawgs!”—and wished Nored nothing but the best, saying they’re here “whenever you need it.” The only thing left now is whether the “next chapter” feels as tight as the old one. And if you were in Hinkle Fieldhouse that day, you’d probably remember the noise first—before the speeches, before the photos, before the next season
even had a schedule.
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