Beilein's Contract
How long is Beilein and how do we keep him here? I know that he has said that he wants to stay here, but his stock has never been higher. So do you think that we will be able to keep him and how can we ensure that we do?
February 19th, 2012 at 10:06 AM ^
I can't support this with a link, but I've read somewhere that someone quoted him saying he wanted to retire here. So, take it fwiw
February 19th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/beileins-contract-extended-through…
At the age of 57, hopefully I’ve found the place. I've been a coaching nomad for quite a few years. Michigan is the place that I want to coach and bring back to the top of the Big Ten. It’s the only place I want to coach at, so I’m really pleased at this opportunity.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:06 AM ^
Why would he leave? He is bringing sexy back to Michigan basketball and it is here to stay with his recruiting. As long as we pay him appropriately I don't see any reason for him to go anywhere else. And as I said before, Brian once considered him a stepping stone coach. I know he said it I just can't find where.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:40 AM ^
I remember him saying it as well. I used to feel the same way.
I was excited when we got him because he was basically the antithesis of Amaker. He always was able to get his players to play above their potential and I figured he would turn Michigan into a consistent Sweet 16 team, but I thought that was his ceiling. That still may be the case, but the way he has been recruiting recently suggests otherwise. I can only imagine what he will be able to do with 4 & 5 star recruits and legitimate front court depth.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
There is no "Beilein ceiling."
February 19th, 2012 at 10:08 AM ^
In January 2010 Beilein got a contract extension running through 2015-16. He's not going anywere and has said he wants to be here until he retires:
"John Beilein has been a wonderful addition to our staff here at Michigan," said Martin, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "What he has done on and off the court with our men's basketball team has been tremendous, and he has made it clear he wants to coach at Michigan until he retires. This contract extension is a win-win situation for the men's basketball program at Michigan and for Coach Beilein."
February 19th, 2012 at 10:10 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^
I mean Michigan is great, but there are higher rated programs. I was more curious to think if anyone thought that there was a threat, because what this guy has done is pretty damn incredible. He has built the program from the ground up and made us look like a repeat NCAA tournament type team.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:12 AM ^
Seriously? With the next two classes we have coming in, what other program would be a serious step up from Michigan?
February 19th, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^
Back before the Crisler overhaul, I could see leaving for somewhere with better facilities. Now though we've clearly made a commitment to returning to our traditional role in basketball. We're aiming to be destination school again.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:44 AM ^
There are a number of programs that would be a significant step up. But even if one of those jobs did come open, their boosters would be unlikely to support the hiring of someone as intolerant of sleaze as Beilein.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:28 PM ^
Which is exactly my point (well one of two. CRex hit the other with facilities).
The only step up he can make is a step up with regards to historical program prominence. That list is very short (as described by another poster) and it isn't necessarily a major step up (as pointed out by yet another poster).
I think Beilein has a dream job right now. He's at a place with serious basketball tradition, though recently had fallen on hard times. He has a great academic institution to sell. He is at a place that is inline with his own views of high moral and ethical character. He has full support of a very wealthy athletic department. He has a fanbase that has become reinvigorated and is turning into a selling point itself.
The only thing that any school has on this program right now is banners in the rafters. And for a coach, that only means expectations for more banners.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:16 AM ^
Outside of a short list (Duke, UNC, IU, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA), Michigan is as good as anywhere else, IMO. We have Detroit and a national brand, so Beilein can go into just about any home in America and make a reasonable pitch, plus we now have top notch facilities. On top of this, Crisler is starting to get rowdy again, and the Big Ten is annually in the mix for best conference. Not only that, but the guy is getting paid; $1.8m is a good deal of money for a basketball coach.
I see a lot of positives, and very few negatives from a coaches point of view.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
I second everything you said and would add that Michigan is a relatively low-pressure basketball school compared to how much support and resources Beliein now has at his disposal.
Sure, we expect Beilein to create a winning program, but if he were to leave for a 'basketball school', pressure and expectations would be a hell of a lot different. Would he be given time to build something like at Michigan?
Last year's preseason rumblings about Beilein not being the right man for the job would've happened a lot earlier and been a lot louder at one of the traditional basketball schools. Really, historical program prestige is about the only thing Michigan can't offer compared to the traditional blue blood programs - and even then, it's relative.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:18 AM ^
I suggest you do some reading up on the history of Michigan basketball. There was a time when the program was one of the elite programs in the country and made the NCAAs nearly every year. Beilein is returning the program to its past glory.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:40 AM ^
I mean, with all the money we are putting in the bball program, we will be right up there with the top once some tourney wins come in. The only significantly better programs out there already have there coaches anyways.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 5:41 PM ^
I know you were probably mostly kidding with Zack being the next coach, but I do believe the next men's b-ball coach is already in-house. I'd say either Bacari Alexander or LaVall Jordan will be replacing Coach B if I had to render a guess. It was incredible how much the team improved over the 2010 offseason, and one of the biggest changes was those two guys coming on staff.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:10 AM ^
Yes we will be able to keep him. This is Michigan fergodsakes!
February 19th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^
I'd hate to lose him now that things are going so well for recruiting and on the court. I hope he has another 10 years in him.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:16 AM ^
I can't wait to see what Coach Beilein will do with a line-up full of highly-rated recruits. It is not a situation that he has ever been in his entire coaching career. The things he has accomplished in Ann Arbor so far with a lot of guys that were not highly sought after speaks volumes to his ability to develop and coach talent. I just want to sit back and enjoy what can still happen with this year's team and I look forward to the coming years with some of the best influx of talent this program has seen in nearly 20 years.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:22 AM ^
Honestly, does John Beliein strike you as the type of guy to really care about how "elite" or highly ranked a program is? There are so many other factors that are more important to him: family atmosphere, academics, development of talent, players who want/need to be coached. This guy isn't out looking to be get the most wins ever, or be regarded as the best coach of an elite program. He has to see the atmosphere promoted by Red, Hoke, Hutch, et. al. and want to continue that tradition up here.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:18 PM ^
I think you underestimate his desire to win. He just won't sacrifice in other areas where other coaches find it convenient (looks toward Lexington...)
February 19th, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^
He's a Michigan Man
February 19th, 2012 at 10:33 AM ^
He truly loves Ann Arbor and loves Michigan.
We have two coaches that aren't going ANYWHERE until they retire.
When I spoke to Coach B, he was VERY candid --- it wasn't just coachspeak, in fact he went out of his way to emphasize how much he loved Michigan. He's now embraced the Ohio rivalry and calls them "Ohio," he truly hates them too which is awesome. I'm not sure the former football coach ever "got" that rivalry, Coach B probably didn't at first...and MSU is probably the bigger basketball rivalry so I don't think anyone cared.
But when I talked to him about Ohio, he said, "I don't care if it's checkers, we better beat them." Coach Hoke would say the same thing.
If ANY of you think Dave Brandon won't bless the pockets of Coach Beilein or Coach Hoke, you're crazy...he's a GREAT AD, even if you think he's in the spotlight too much. Coach Hoke or Coach B won't ask for another dime, but they'll definitely be fairly compensated.
There's an unconfirmed rumor in athletics that Brandon tried to give Hoke an additional bonus for the year he had...Hoke said he didn't want it. Brandon said "well give it to Mott or something." ...and Hoke did. Could be myth, probably myth, but if true...wouldn't shock me in the least.
I love our coaches, our coaches love Michigan.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
He seems to be the type that sticks by his recruits and wont want to leave something that he has built from the ground up. I do worry that we sometimes see the world through maize andmblue glasses. I hope he stays and retires here(not too long ago I didn't think that).
February 19th, 2012 at 10:43 AM ^
"How long is Beilein?"
Up until last night I had always thought Beilein was probably around 8-9 inches. However, after that performance, I'm willing to bump him up to a 10 incher.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^
Beilein is going nowhere! He is going to retire here as long as he keeps this pace... I would be more worried about losing Bacari Alexander... This guy has future "stud Head Coach" written ALL OVER HIM. He is an TREMENDOUS™ recruiter and a guy with a lot of enthusiasm and genuine love for the game... I hope we can keep him in the staff until John B. decides to hang it up although I think its highly doubtful this will happen.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^
I don't know why I am getting downvoted? I honestly wanted to open a dialect to see if people thought or knew how long Beilein was going to be here because he has been great for the program. He has rebuilt it and I don't want to be robbed of him.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^
beilein will be 60 after this current contract. there isn't a market for 60-yr old coaches looking to step-up to more elite programs. i can't think of any coach who has done that.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^
Probably because most people responding think your premise is kinda silly and you come off in your post as worrying about something that is highly unlikely to happen.
Think of it this way. Had you posted "The Big House - what will we do if Brandon sells it?" and then proceed to worry that now that it's so nice we might sell it to another local school for big money. Could it happen? Sure it's possible yes but in the real world not very likely. Save your worries for things that might actually happen and would hurt us a bit. Like Baccari Alexander getting a head coaching gig someplace next year. Now THAT could occur.
My opinion anyways.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
This Sugar Bowl trophy is great and all, but it is awkward and heavy. And where will we store it? Did anyone think of that?
February 19th, 2012 at 10:53 AM ^
I can't imagine John Beilein wanting to be anywhere else. The man toiled in relative obscurity until a comparatively late age to get an opportunity at a big time program. He's an old school, cerebral coach who values basketball brain as much, maybe even more, than basketball talent. Michigan is a perfect opportunity for him to leave his mark, to prove his values are still relevant.
Did you see him beaming in the pre-game interview? That's a man who put everything he believed to the test and is seeing Ann Arbor embrace his product. He kept his nose down, took guys like Stu and Zach when he could have avoided second guessing with a couple of ***, quietly changed his staff and pursued his vision. And his response to this success was to show up with his wife at 6:45 AM yesterday morning bringing hot chocolate and donuts for the kids who had waited in line.
Michigan is damn lucky to have him, to not have to worry about the character of the kids he brings in or what he does to land them. But maybe my favorite thing about Beilein is something I just read in a Rothstein article about last night's game prep. JB had brought up a scene from the movie Tin Cup when Costner's girlfriend yelled at him to just go for it.
"Coach said, 'Just go for it. Tin Cup it. Eighteenth hole, hit it in the drink three times, go for it, rip it,'" Michigan senior guard Zack Novak said. "'Tin Cup.' He's got random thoughts."
Random thoughts or the stuff of genius from a man who has been rebuilding a program before our eyes using his own blue print.
February 19th, 2012 at 1:46 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
Ya I think Beilein coaches here for the rest of his coaching career. He knows he is able to get the talent here now and still be able to use his system. I am pretty sure Dave Brandon will do whatever it takes to keep Beilein around as long as possible. I agree with the above post about being concerned about losing Bacari Alexander. The guy has been amazing for Michigan and if given a heading coaching chance I think he would take it.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
i could see him coaching here 10 yrs. after a good stretch, passing the reins to an assistant then retiring back East...for one year. Realizing he can't give up coaching, he goes back to a school like Canisius or something and works for next to nothing for the pure love of teaching.
February 19th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
I'd love Beilein to coach for that much longer for us. The thing that scares me about that is I don't see assistants Bacari Alexander and Jeff Myer waiting around that long. I'd love to have one of those guys eventually take over for Beilein, but in a few more years (if not sooner), some other teams will be calling for them...
February 19th, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
It's a concern, but at the same time, if Beilein was able to successfully identify those two as good coaching candidates, why couldn't he do the same again?
I wouldn't be surprised to see C.J. Lee on the staff in a few years.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:43 AM ^
After seeing Dave Brandon in action over the last two years, does anybody think that he would allow any other school to hire John Beilein away without a nuclear war?
February 19th, 2012 at 12:04 PM ^
...long Coach Beilein can hang on to his talented and well constructed staff of asst coaches. Myers, Alexander and Jordan have been nothing short of spectacular. Expect one or both of the latter two to get looks very soon for HC positions.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:14 PM ^
Losing Myers, Alexander, or Jordan to a head coaching position might not be so bad. Think of it in the same sense as Brady Hoke going to Ball State and SDSU to gain head coaching experience. Myers, Alexander, or Jordan would be much better prepared to take over when Beilein retires than if they continue to assistants at U-M.
When Dave Brandon searched for RichRod's replacement, he said that HC experience was one of the requirements. Could very well be the same when he searches for Beilein's replacement.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
I agree with you in regard to losing Myers, Alexander or Jordan. Clearly, Dave Brandon prefers hiring someone with head coaching experience, no matter the sport. Why else would Mel Pearson leave Michigan for a head coaching job after 23 years? I can only assume that Coach Pearson formed the same opinion on Dave Brandon as well.
February 19th, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^
As he should. The skills required to be an assistant are very different than those required to be the head coach. A lot of guys can't make that transition successfully.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:26 PM ^
I have to admit, I never quite understood the negativity regarding Dave Brandon. I have watched his career for about the last 15 years and am constantly amazed at his ability to find a happy medium between maintaining a culture while keeping the entity not only competitive, but a leader, in a changing world. If I had my way, the world wouldn't require Michigan to change and we could always stay in 70's power mode. But that's not the real world. The simple truth is the guy gets it and stays in the forefront of required change. Doing so means he's doing things before most people have had time to allow it to become part of their cultural comfort zone and therefore is uncomfortable. Doesn't mean its wrong. In fact, I find when it comes to Brandon, he's right an amazing amount of the time. I for one am a fan. GO BLUE!
February 19th, 2012 at 1:09 PM ^
There are a lot of people here who won't forgive Brandon for firing Rodriguez. Even though most of them now acknowledge that Hoke is a good coach, and a better fit for this school, they still can't get over their initial anger over Rodriguez's dismissal. After he was fired, suddenly everything Brandon did rubbed them the wrong way.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
Methinks you may be in that camp.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:47 PM ^
I was more than ready for the coaching change after the Gator Bowl embarrassment. Brandon hit a home run with Hoke, which was by far the most important move he had to make as our AD.
February 19th, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^
Post Gator Bowl RR HAD to go. But I sheepishly confess to being less than thrilled with "the process" and Hoke's hire. Sometimes it's good to be wrong, and I was happily waaaayyy wrong on Hoke.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
I agree with everyone's sediments above that Coach B isn't going anywhere. Though the one school I can see making a run at him and that he'd have to listen to is Syracuse. Boehiem has had health issues and probably only has aboue 2-3 more years at "cuse. Coach B started his career coach Le Moyne in Syracuse and I could see him listen to a potential pitch to come home.
I still think Brandon would do all it takes to keep him Blue.
February 19th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^