Before coming to Chicago, he was the head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats baseball program for 28 seasons, from 1988 through 2015.

At Northwestern, Stevens has had 67 players drafted by Major League Baseball teams or signed to professional contracts.

Stevens coached 94 All-Big Ten players, including four-time World Series champion Joe Girardi, two-time Major League Baseball All-Star Mark Loretta, and Toronto Blue Jays' J.A.

Stevens announced his retirement partway through the 2015 season and stepped down at the end of the year.

Stevens then served as a scout for the New York Mets before becoming an assistant at Northwestern in 1985.