According to Stevens , in one of his first games as head coach , he was nervous and " felt like our team played on edge " because of it . He decided that a team 's play will reflect the mood of its coach ; a calm coach means a team that will remain poised in difficult game situations , while a nervous coach means a team that plays on edge . " I don ’ t want to lose a game because of my approach , " he told himself . Accordingly , he developed a strategy of always remaining calm and focused during games . He rarely raises his voice or gets emotional , instead quietly observing on the sideline with folded arms . He does not get upset about bad calls by referees or player mistakes , preferring to focus on " the next play " rather than what just happened . Butler player Willie Veasley explained Butler 's 2010 Final Four run by saying , " When those big runs [ by Syracuse and Kansas State ] came , Coach called a timeout and said a few calm words . Then he said he believes in us , he loves us and we 're going to win the game . " On the rare occasion Stevens feels the need to correct a player , he does it with " positive reinforcement , just at a little louder decibel " , according to former assistant coach Matthew Graves . Above all , Stevens wants his players to be confident , not living in fear of being yanked for making a bad play .