After announcing the hiring of new head coach Ronald Nored on March 24, the men’s basketball program formally welcomed the former point guard back to Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 27 as the 26th head coach in program history.
Despite his close ties to the university, vice president and director of athletics Grant Leiendecker insisted that his former teammate was the right choice for the job.
“We had an incredible pool of candidates,” Leiendecker said. “While he hasn’t done it yet at this level, everything he delivered in his interview and what I know he’s about made it very clear that he won this job.”
Nored beat out a group of more than 10 other candidates, including fellow NBA assistants, collegiate assistants and collegiate head coaches.
An Indianapolis native, Nored has compiled over a decade’s worth of coaching experience, mainly in the NBA. Now, the two-time Horizon League defensive player of the year steps into the college ranks to have his first shot at being a Division-I head coach at his alma mater.
Formerly, Nored had short head coaching stints with Brownsburg High School and the Long Island Nets.
“Any head coach, at any level around the country, has to do a great job of leadership,” Nored said. “To be able to have had some swings at developing who I am as a leader has helped me understand who I need to be as a leader. [At Butler], the level is different, the play is different, but those leadership principles and how you work with people, pour into people and move people forward are quite the same.”
As the new leader of the program, Nored’s first order of business is to establish culture and tradition back into Butler basketball. Something that has lacked both within the confines of Hinkle Fieldhouse and throughout campus amid recent on-court struggles.
“It starts with building the foundation of our program,” Nored said. “Getting the right people that fit Butler and how we want to play, so that we can have a culture that is going to sustain us for generations. You look around the best programs in the country, and they have a clear identity.”
To instill a revamped identity back into the program, Nored will be leaning on three pillars: a team that is connected, competitive every single possession and prepared.
As the transition into the new season looms with the transfer portal opening on April 7, Nored will likely be spending the next week solidifying his inherited roster, as there have been four alleged portal entrants — redshirt-sophomore forward Jamie Kaiser Jr., sophomore guard Evan Haywood, first-year guard Stink Robinson and first-year forward Jack McCaffrey.
Graduate guard Jalen Jackson and first-year forward Jackson Keith were the only players from the team to make an appearance at the welcome ceremony.
“I’m still getting to meet with all the guys, and that’s actually gone great,” Nored said. “I’ve had individual meetings with all the guys and gave them some vision. I really like where we are. When a new coach comes in, you want to get to know who that coach is [and] what [they’re] about … It’s a healthy process that’s necessary.”
As Nored constructs his roster, the style of play he brings will have an impact on who transfers in and out. He is adamant about playing a fast style of basketball that will be centered around transition scoring and defensive intensity.
“I’ve worked with some of the best coaches ever,” Nored said. “[With] all of those experiences, I’ve been able to input those things [into my system]. The biggest thing, though, is I have to be me. I have to be myself. So, taking those little pieces from those guys and putting them into who I am as a coach is the way to go … I’m ready to get to work.”
As it stands currently, there will be seven scholarship spots to be filled. However, it is expected that the number will increase over the next week as the opening of the portal approaches.
A big help in building this roster will be an increase in NIL funds, an area of concern for the program over the last few years.
“We’ve made a significant step-up in our NIL,” Leiendecker said. “We’re going to always strive to continue to do that. We’ve got to build the team that’s right for us, first and foremost, in the style that we want to play. We’re going to have competitive resources to give Ron and our program a chance to compete at the highest level.”