So where does Butler go from here? And more importantly, can they remain relevant? I'm sure it had to be on their mind that they probably wouldn't keep Stevens forever, but it has to be a gut-punch to have to replace him right before they join the Big East.
All AD's have short-lists of potential candidates in case something happens -- at Butler, it's even more necessary to follow the basketball scene since its their major(and likely only) revenue generator. Barry Collier, the AD, is a former Butler coach, so he should know better than anyone what to do. I'm sure he's spent even more time following top targets the past 3-4 years in light of all their success.
They had some success prior to Stevens, obviously not the kind that Stevens experienced. He certainly made the job more attractive. Being in the Big East doesn't have to be a deterrent, they get to take on top programs they previously didn't. I'm not counting them out like many others are. That said, they have their work cut out for them.