Updated

The rumors swirled around Butler's campus from the moment Brad Stevens first led the Bulldogs to the Final Four in 2010.

That didn't make Wednesday's news — that Stevens is taking the Boston Celtics' coaching job — any easier for Butler.

Recruiting is just about to kick into high gear, and now the Bulldogs are suddenly looking for a new coach in July when most of the top candidates, such as former assistant coach Matthew Graves, have already accepted jobs. Two days ago, the Bulldogs officially joined the Big East.

While athletic director Barry Collier and university president James Danko wished Stevens well, their next task is figuring out what to do without Stevens.