Beilein to Notre Dame?
My brother lives down in South Bend and texted me last night that the local buzz is an interest in bringing in Beilein. The feeling is that Mike Brey is checked out emotionally and may be ready to move on, or ND may be ready to make a change. Not sure how credible the rumors are or if there is legit interest. But I could see that being a good fit for both parties. JBs recruiting style would fit with how ND traditionally recruits for basketball. There wouldn’t be the expectations of getting “one and dones” and he’s certainly be given time to build his program. Brey has been there 20 years, and while he has had some moderate success, he certainly hasn’t had anything near what Beilein has produced. So they are obviously way more patient with basketball that football. Will be interesting to see if anything comes of it.
I don't know anything about the Mike Bray situation and I hate Notre Dame, but yea I agree that in theory ND and Beilein would be a perfect fit.
Good fit, but all depends if he wants to continue coaching. Will be less stressful and lower expectations than any historical top 5 B1G program (Indiana), isn't competing in the muck that is the SEC, and won't have to go out west to coach in the PAC.
Actually makes a lot of sense if he wants to keep coaching at the collegiate level, at a program that is nationally relevant, but where expectations are not absurd and things are seemingly clean.
I love Coach Beilein and I wish nothing but the best for him. So once again, I wouldn't like this move much like his last career choice
The man has major coronary issues and is 67 years old. Regardless of how young he feels or acts, I wish he wouldn't put needless stress of starting a new job on his body
In regards to Notre Dame, I don't see how this would be a good hire. They wasted two decades on a creepy looking man who could never make a final four. Clearly they want to give people time, but that's something Beilein doesn't have. He will have a max of three more years in my opinion, and then you're right back to where you started before. It would feel like a lazy Les Miles or Mack Brown hire. You're giving the illusion of putting effort into hiring a good coach, but there's no logical way it could ever work
Warde should make JB an associate AD for compliance and be done with it.
JB will need at least a year to heal after what occurred in Cleveland if he desires to coach again.
This is the most common sense course of action for JB now. Stay active with basketball and college sports in some administrative capacity, but MUCH less stress and time spent on the road. At 67 with past health issues, there is no way he should take another HC job.
Coaching is oxygen to Beilein. Coaching is who he is. He will be back on the bench somewhere for next season. I personally think it would be very cool if he coaches high school. He doesn't need the money and the kids play for the love of the game.
That would mean that Juwan would report to Beilein, which would be awkward to say the least.
Beilein had a nice run here but it's done.
They’re both big boys and neither seems to have a needy personality — I’m hardly a trained sports psychiatrist, but in my view both throw of them a vibe of steady confidence and evidence a healthy amount of self-actualization.
Without any particular data points one way or the other, I would think these are two men who could very easily co-exist in this sort of professional arrangement.
Like Jim reports to Warde? We all know where the power lies in these relationships.
Even if JB wants to be an athletic administrator, which I tend to doubt, we don't need to make him a charity case.
What message would that send to Juwan, that the coach who preceded him (and recruited some of his current players) is suddenly the guy he has to speak with on NCAA compliance issues? And now those players can go see Beilein, just like Lloyd Carr's recruits went to see him under RichRod?
Beilein, I'm sure, gets all that. It's why he did not visit the team in the locker room on Senior day. He knows it's Juwan's team now.
Beilein still works for the Cavs, so he’s not allowed to have contact with college players. That’s why he wasn’t in the locker room.
Interesting, did not know that.
I agree with all your points on Beilein, but disagree that ND wasted anything with Brey.
Notre Dame hadn't even made the tournament in the 12 years prior to his arrival. He immediately made the dance his first three years. They have only been to one final four in school history so failure to get there isn't exactly a waste for that program.
He just went to consecutive Elite Eights a few years ago. Maybe the time is right to move on now but I can't imagine anyone regretting the Mike Brey era of ND basketball.
Fair. I can say I don't have really any familiarity with the history of ND basketball
Please explain to us his major coronary issues... he had a 2 vessel CABG and is probably in better condition now than before he had it, given that he’ll be under close observation and probably on a better medical regimen.
As good a coach as he is, I would be hesitant to hire him at this point. He's always been a guy who likes to rip things down and then start rebuilding. Year one is usually a mess, and his programs normally aren't operating at full capacity until year 3-4 . . . and at that point he'll be 70 or 71.
At least we would never have to play him. But, man, I would be so pissed off if he made them national contenders.
I am sure ND has an interest in bringing in Beilein. That is a no-brainer.
The question is whether or not Beilein at 67 wants to be a part of such a massive rebuild after getting hammered during another massive rebuild in the worst state ever.
The interest is likely wishful thinking and one way only.
I’m not sure it’s a no-brainer to hire a guy this close to retirement. You’d be setting yourself up for another coaching transition in a few years.
For ND, I am sure it is a no-brainer. Immediate upgrade for a squad with not a lot of immediate and historical upside. The immediate up and coming coaching prospects will not be fighting over this opportunity.
Immediate upgrade? Take a look at how Beilein does in his first year at every stop.
Take a look at who is coaching ND right now.
I’m not saying he isn’t a better coach than Brey, but Beilein is not a quick-turnaround guy. You don’t hire him if you want immediate results.
in the worst state ever
Personally, I hope the Cavs never win another game given how those, ahem, "professional" players treated JB.
Beilein is too old to coach college basketball at 67...but we are down to three guys running for President who are in their late 70s!!
President Trump is 73, soon to be 74. So two of three in their late 70’s and one early to mid 70’s.
Meaning whoever is the next president will likely be near or in their 80s four years from now.
The comment was “is” not “will be.” That is not correct. Two of the three are a whole presidential term older than the other. That is significant.
Yes, two guys with dementia and one guy coming off a heart attack. Well done, America!
Impressive how welll your plan has come togerher
Trump is far from perfect but dementia is clearly not one of his problems.
Youre sure on that?
I have to imagine you’re sitting in the Kremlin every night in a nice smoking jacket, swirling a glass of brandy, smoking a fine Cuban cigar, giggling to yourself, and reveling in the chaos you’ve caused here.
Gotta be honest, I have no idea why Mike Brey is so teflon with that program.
He's a very good regular season coach. But when it comes to the post-season, he's terrible.
He has been there for TWENTY years (which I still cannot believe), and he's been to two Elite Eights. Gotta get some new energy in there.
That actually not bad for that program. Michigan has been to 3 elite 8s in 20 years. Are we that much better??
That’s three Elite 8s in the last six years, if we’re keeping track. So if you want to ask if we’re that much better at this point in time, or over the past few years (i.e. the old adage in sports of what have you done for me lately), I’d say hell yes we are.
Yeah, yeah we are. In a little more than half of Brey's tenure, JB went to two final games and an E8.
We’ve been to seven Elite Eights - and five Final Fours - since 1989. So yeah, we’re a lot better.
He's underwhelming but not terrible.
Per 538's evaluation of coaches in the tournament, he's performed slightly worse than expectations based on the seeds they've had. Overall he's -0.4 wins compared to expectation in 14 tournaments so basically he's been average / negligibly worse than expectations.
He's on par with Bob Huggins and Scott Drew in that category who are also -0.4. This was done in 2018 and he hasn't made the tourney since then so Brey's numbers haven't changed, there may be some movement from others.
Full data set: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/jim-boeheim-is-the-new-king-of-march-madness/
Good fit in theory.
JB should retire and find some other, less stressful, pursuits. No reason to run yourself into the grave.
The thing is that Beilein lives to coach. He'll coach until he can't move. It's his life blood..
To hell with Notre Dame.
Yep - feels right for hoops too!
I could start a new rumor: Beilein to Northwestern!
Nice fit, lots of patience, blah, blah, blah, yada yada, etc., also so on. Plus, after he took them to the NCAA tourney in year 2 — and not as a quirky one-off like Collins' one-off, they'd put his name the building, or the department, or maybe the whole damn school.
This has to be the ideal spot for beilein himself, doesn't it?
Brey has been at Notre Dame for 20 years and only has made the Elite Eight twice.
How he's lasted this long is beyond me, unless Notre Dame just values football more.
But if I was them and had the chance to get JB, I'd fire Brey immediately after the season.