Brad Stevens

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Like a lot of other coaches, the Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens studies ways to improve at his craft. That desire has led him to pick Gregg Popovich's brain, to read books about psychology, and to stay ready to document a play whenever he watches a game. It has also led Stevens to search outside of basketball for different coaching alternatives.

While at Butler, he attended numerous Indianapolis Colts practices to learn from Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning. This offseason Stevens observed at least one other coach, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, to pick up whatever he could.

#Celtics coach Brad Stevens said recently attended Ohio State football practice so he could watch how Urban Meyer coaches 100 guys at once. — Scott Souza (@Scott_Souza) September 16, 2016

In the past, Stevens has described what he learns from non-basketball coaches.

"I think you can learn a ton from them," he once said. "Because it's not about the Xs and Os, it's about how they run their meetings, who's communicating, how they're communicating, how the players are responding, the activities of the players in those meetings. When you're at a practice and Peyton Manning's involved, it's unbelievable. It's like a clinic, it is like a clinic. So having that opportunity to be around those types of elite performers and athletes is something."

Now, I just hope the Celtics refrain from platooning quarterbacks this season.