Beilein has "coached his last game" with the Cavs; both sides are "working on a settlement"
Elsewhere, it's being reported that Beilein's departure will be official by tomorrow and that J.B. Bickerstaff will be promoted as his permanent replacement.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28731670/sources-john-beilein-cavaliers-working-settlement
https://fox8.com/sports/j-b-bickerstaff-to-take-over-for-john-beilein-as-cavs-head-coach-reports/
February 19th, 2020 at 4:52 AM ^
Saban quit because he had no say in personnel, and the management at the time was inept. He knew what he could do, and he knew it would never happen in Miami.
February 18th, 2020 at 6:52 PM ^
Feel bad for the guy. I know he's financially set for life and has a great college resume. But, it still has to hurt to have ended this way. I hope he's able to retire and ride off into the sunset and does not return to coach against UM.
February 18th, 2020 at 6:53 PM ^
I keep seeing television being tossed around. I can't see him going behind a mic. He is not a very polished speaker (not a knock, just a fact). Maybe the spontaneity of it would benefit him doing as color analyst role but I doubt it. We shall see. I've a feeling he hangs it up and focuses on the fam.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:01 PM ^
That would be the sensible thing to do. The problem is that successful coaches are successful because they're insanely competitive. Having his career end on a spectacular midseason flame-out with a bottom-dwelling NBA team probably doesn't sit well with him. I could see him taking another college job to wash out the bitter taste of his NBA stint.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:06 PM ^
A lot of color guys are not particularly polished. Insightful is the key. Beilein doesn’t always find the right words, but his observations are typically nearly revelatory. I think he would be really good at it.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:37 PM ^
If fucking Jim Calhoun can get a job commentating basketball games, then I think Beilein is way over qualified
February 18th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
Hopefully there's no bickering from the staff.
February 18th, 2020 at 11:06 PM ^
Right? Was Coach Arguecrew not available? What about Coach Bitchyteam?
February 19th, 2020 at 12:27 AM ^
Coach Yellygang was available.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:06 PM ^
Let’s get him a season ticket next to the old man who sat next to him in the front row all these years. He can hang out with Jack Harbaugh when he brings one of Jim’s kids to the game.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
Al Glick.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:13 PM ^
Please put his name up in the rafters.
February 18th, 2020 at 8:04 PM ^
He forfeited the rafters leaving at the last second the way he did for Cleveland. Will never happen. He probably could have had the court named after him.
Blew it all for Cleveland. What a shame. And he knew the boss was the enemy going in. Not smart.
February 18th, 2020 at 8:12 PM ^
He’s the best coach in program history, regardless of how he left! He didn’t pull a Dantonio and leave the place in shambles on the way out. He should be embraced here and have a statue outside of Crisler.
February 18th, 2020 at 8:23 PM ^
Possibly could put a plaque above a couple of the drinking fountains in his honor.
If you want to be honored, you need to be a good steward of the program and the university - not leave for Cleveland with your MSU boss at the last possible second. He put this program in a bad position that it was very lucky to recover from.
Statue-worthy - see Schembecler, Glenn E. “Bo”
February 18th, 2020 at 8:38 PM ^
This is ungrateful bullstuff. The man resurrected the program and did it with class. He became tired of the dirtiness of college basketball and, per Sam Webb, wanted to be home more, which coaching in the NBA allows. He's 67 and been coaching all his adult life. He took a swing at the NBA after more than a decade in AA, and he missed, which happens. And he left the program in such bad shape that they're...extremely likely to make the tournament. They may even advance to the second weekend if they can stay healthy.
February 18th, 2020 at 8:55 PM ^
“He wanted” “He became tired” “He took a swing”
The focus was on him and not the program. That is fine. He earned that right and that opportunity. But he executed this silly scheme in an irresponsible manner. If he wanted to do all of this, he should have left when the season was over, not after all of the coaching moves were complete. M was extremely lucky to recover from this with JH.
He did a great job. But the rafters, statues, etc. are reserved for those who always put the program first. Schembecler, Yost, Crisler, etc.
Maybe Frieder or Orr deserve statues, too. They did great jobs, and left because “they wanted” “they took a swing.”
February 18th, 2020 at 10:41 PM ^
Frieder left to go to freaking Arizona State. Also coached far less at Michigan and didn't win as much. And Orr went to Iowa State.
February 18th, 2020 at 11:26 PM ^
Orr made a lateral move to Iowa State in a rather slimy way (Iowa State called him to ask about then-assistant Bill Frieder and Orr told them he wanted the job for himself when he found out what they were planning on paying Frieder). Frieder made a lateral move to Arizona State because he didn't get along with then-AD Bo Schembechler and tried to time his departure in a way that no AD in America would have been okay with, let alone Bo (he announced he was leaving on the eve of the NCAA Tournament but said he would coach Michigan through the tourney, prompting Bo to fire him immediately and famously declare, "A Michigan Man will coach Michigan, not an Arizona State Man").
Beilein simply took a job at a higher level of competition. There was nothing slimy, unseemly, or controversial about his departure. The timing sucked for Michigan, but it wasn't out of the ordinary as NBA jobs go.
February 18th, 2020 at 9:52 PM ^
The court will be named after him. It’s not if, just when.
February 19th, 2020 at 12:17 AM ^
This definitely will not happen. Gotta win the big one, gotta leave on better terms (e.g., retire).
February 18th, 2020 at 11:34 PM ^
Isnt it on a building already?
February 18th, 2020 at 7:17 PM ^
I was sure this was a bad idea, but even I never thought he would flame out by the All-Star Game.
At 54 games, Beilein's tenure will be the 6th shortest by a coach (who started at the beginning of the season) in NBA History. Tarkanian holds the record at 20 games, and he was 9-11 when he got fired.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:21 PM ^
He'd be a good fit at Detroit Mercy. They'd probably let him bring his kid along and let him groom him to take over in a couple years. Disgraced catholic father/son coaching staff at a catholic school would make for a nice human interest story.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:55 PM ^
That's actually a very good idea ... but despite how poorly UDM is playing, I don't think UDM will let Mike Davis go just yet. He's only on his 2nd year himself.
One thing is for certain though: that's a program that needs an infusion of energy.
They should be a lot better than 9th in the Horizon League. They just recently got swept by Youngstown State, a football school that is also the laziest and cheapest school in the conference in terms of investing in and caring about their basketball program.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:27 PM ^
It seems inconceivable to many that he left UM for (to him) good reasons and was prepared for anything (including an early exit) when he took the job.
I'd believe both. He's smart and self-aware. Obviously his son's situation is a wildcard.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:45 PM ^
I hope he makes some bank off of Gilbert and those stupid quicken loans commercials.
February 18th, 2020 at 7:49 PM ^
Honestly, it is what it is... didn't understand it at the time, but Beilein got tired of grinding for recruits... losing Carton, not getting Pierce as a grad transfer, losing Iggy and Jordan... I honestly think he got tired of it...
Think of it this way: if Beilein left in a 2-3 years, maybe Juwan would have been tabbed for a head coaching job in the NBA by then.
I loved what Coach Beilein did at Michigan, but at this point in point, I am really excited to see how Juwan builds on his foundation.
February 18th, 2020 at 9:09 PM ^
Nothing good happens to good people in ohio
February 18th, 2020 at 9:11 PM ^
He took over a no win situation. They didn’t strike in the lottery and were forced to pick at #5 and take a PG who played 5 college games. Their starting PG has talent but is an absolute headcase. Tristan Thompson is a cancer, Kevin Love thinks he is above playing in Cleveland and has provided zero leadership. Now even if he stuck around this years draft does not have a Morant or Zion level talent in it.
He took a powerball odds Chance and he didn’t hit. Thankful for what he did for our program and he will be applauded with a roar everytime he returns to Crisler
February 18th, 2020 at 11:06 PM ^
All true but there were also multiple reports, VERY early on, that coach B was treating the players like college kids, not professionals and lost the entire locker room. Lots of yelling, practices that were more geared for a 17 year old Freshman than a 28 year old player with an NBA title in their resume. 2 weeks into the season he completely scrapped the Michigan offense they had been practicing all pre-season and implemented a more traditional NBA ISO/pick n roll sets-to this day nobody here knows why. Disastorous end game rotations that led directly to multiple late collapses. And don't forget the "thugs/slugs" comment that went over like a turd in the punchbowl with both the white and black players on the team.
Yes the Cavs are a complete mess and Dan Gilbert is a controlling, micromanaging douche bag. Nobody here in in Cleveland debates this.
But despite our warm feelings towards him, Beilein himself contributed massively to this end result. I watched it play out first hand.
February 18th, 2020 at 9:20 PM ^
It’s hard out here for a pimp
February 18th, 2020 at 10:10 PM ^
From his perspective, I think reasonable people understand taking a shot at the highest level. He was tired of the hypocrisy of college basketball.
From the outside looking in, there was very little chance it was gonna work. That team is and was a grease fire. From that perspective it made zero sense.
If he decides he wants to coach in college again, I’m hoping he lands somewhere like Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, or Boston College. Schools that he can recruit his kind of player and build his kind of program with lower expectations. However given his age. Maybe he goes to Texas joins his D-Guru for one last run at it. Then turns over the keys to him. Or maybe he shows up there as his bench coach. Then sails into the sunset after a deep run. Either way. He’s a teacher. And a lot of good teachers have a hard time letting go.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:46 PM ^
Well said, great teachers do keep teaching in one way or another.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:23 PM ^
This is so sad for all involved.
Also a strange counterfactual I can't get out of my mind is if we had gotten, like, Porter Moser and were staring at missing the NIT and a bottom-of-conference recruiting class would we . . . take him back?
February 18th, 2020 at 11:44 PM ^
If that was the situation yes. 1000x yes. The man was squirt gunning players and laughing his ass off less than two years ago. Wtf Jordan Poole and Iggy? What did you guys do to him?
;-)
February 18th, 2020 at 11:53 PM ^
Of course. Thankfully thats not the case and Juwan has this program in a great place.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:27 PM ^
Ill always think Beilein is a great man and will always appreciate the work he did for Michigan. The decision to coach the Cavaliers will always baffle me. Its the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hope John lands on his feet somewhere soon
February 18th, 2020 at 10:34 PM ^
Seriously, John. What were you thinking?
February 18th, 2020 at 10:49 PM ^
Lou Holtz coached the NY Jets for 1 season...and they were horrible.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:58 PM ^
I feel bad for JB. A good guy and great coach overwhelmed by a shitty franchise and entitled players. He took a shot and it failed. He'll always be loved by Michigan fans though.
February 18th, 2020 at 10:58 PM ^
I don’t blame him for taking a shot at the highest level of the game. Sure, it ended in a disaster, but what he probably would’ve regretted more is not giving it a shot to begin with.
The circumstances under which he left could’ve been better, but we ended up with Juwan so really no harm no foul. Hope he takes his millions, enjoys retirement, and comes back to Crisler in the next year or two to be honored in some capacity. I’d love to see him involved in some unofficial non-coaching capacity and a regular attendee at games.
Michigan Basketball is not even close to where it is today without John Beilein entering the fold.
February 18th, 2020 at 11:40 PM ^
I hope Beilein takes a mountain of cash from the Cavs on his way out of Cleveland. Sure he left in a somewhat matter of fact way, but he took Michigan basketball to places we couldn't have dreamed before we saw it, and with the cleanest nose in the sport. Beilein is a bona fide Michigan legend, and this bizarre NBA chapter doesn't change that at all for me.
February 19th, 2020 at 12:28 AM ^
Thanks BRAD
February 19th, 2020 at 3:21 PM ^
Sucks. At least he went out trying his own way. Beilien is a well respected educator coach and what he did at Michigan proved that. He is way better than coaching a bunch of overpaid spoiled turds