Great article on mlive. 'This Is John Beilein'
If you have a few minutes, check out this story I came across on mlive about Beilein's journey from a trench digger to UM's basketball coach. Great read.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^
How can anyone not love this man?
November 12th, 2014 at 8:35 AM ^
...was pretty fucking tits!
November 12th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 8:44 AM ^
CAREER COLLEGE WINS
983 — Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
948 — Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
740 — Bob Huggins, West Virginia
724 — Roy Williams, North Carolina
704 — Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
701 — John Beilein, Michigan
* Active Division I coaches only
November 12th, 2014 at 8:58 AM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^
How can people not love John Beilein??? He is everything a coach could be. The way he called timeout after Hatch made that free throw the other night was spectacular. The Bear Hug that followed was even better. I love John Beilein
November 12th, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^
Sure, but you're making the assumption that most coaches would care enough about a kid like Hatch to keep him on scholarship so that he could actually play and the timeout could actually be called. I think that's a wrong assumption.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
I agree that many coaches might not have kept him on scholarship, but the post above is specifically addressing the timeout.
It's true that every coach would have called timeout there.
November 12th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 8:53 AM ^
since he's taken over the helm. Def article too.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^
Great guy, great coach.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:08 AM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^
That was a great article (much better writing than I'm used to seeing on MLive) - thanks for posting. My favorite line?
John was good, not great. According to Murph, he could handle the ball but was hindered by the misconception that he was a shooter. He was named All-Catholic League anyway, and was convinced he could play college basketball.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
even Coach was not just a shooter
November 12th, 2014 at 9:17 AM ^
great journalism, but also an amazing story
I knew he rose from humble beginnings, but I didn't realize how hard he had to work
November 12th, 2014 at 9:19 AM ^
Excellent piece on John Beilein. Thanks for sharing this.
The transformation of Michigan basketball under Beilein has been phenomenal and a joy to watch really. To take a program that, when he arrived, seemed directionless and give direction is not easy, but the fact that he has done precisely speaks to just how good a coach and a leader he is, in my opinion. The day he retires, he definitely leaves Michigan in a much better state than he found it in 2007, and that is one of the hallmarks of a successful run, I would think.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
I agree but will take it a step further. Beilein dug the program out of the hole that Ed Martin dug for it. The importance of the fact that he chaired the ethics committe can't be understated; he deflected all of the negativity that had surrounded the program and was able to start recruiting D-1 caliber talent to Ann Arbor again.
November 12th, 2014 at 3:18 PM ^
it's the hiring of Brian Ellerbe who is woefully underqualified to coach at Michigan. Yes, he had really good athletes, but half of them had off-field issues. Michigan was really bad under Ellerbe. TA was a good "bridge" coach for bringing back to respectability, but could never get them over the hump.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^
That was an amazing article. I didn't want it to end. Enjoy Brendan Quinn for this season, as he seems like a guy who will be on to much bigger things with his sportswriting.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:31 AM ^
Will get a major say in the AD search. Everything he touches turns to gold.
November 12th, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^
Might be a good idea to have Beilein talk to the finalist for head football coach. Beilein may not know the intricacies of coaching football but he is a good judge of people.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^
I've actually been to Newfane, NY on business before.. To say it is a "small town" is an understatement. People in the area still speak VERY highly of him as a human being. Beautiful area of the country, but very hard to believe that someone from those beginnings rose to the level that he has. For anyone dreaming big, this is the story to keep you dreaming.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
I've actually been to Newfane, NY on business before.. To say it is a "small town" is an understatement. People in the area still speak VERY highly of him as a human being. Beautiful area of the country, but very hard to believe that someone from those beginnings rose to the level that he has. For anyone dreaming big, this is the story to keep you dreaming.
Edit: Sorry for the double post
November 12th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
"So what is the point of all this?" Beilein asks, wondering why anyone would fuss to retrace his steps searching for who he actually is.
"Well, I just don't get it," he says. "I can't imagine why anyone would care."
Classic Beilein. What a great article.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
I love the old photos of JB from high school. He might be THE most underrated coach in college basketball. It galls me how the media fawn all over the Coach K's, Bill Self's, Calipari's, and Izzo's, but have largely ignored how well JB has done over the last 5 years. Oh well. I'm sure he isn't losing any sleep over it. His day will come.
November 12th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^
The media gravitates toward "characters", which Beilein is not.
But when those characters are no longer playing because they lost in the early rounds of the Big Dance, even the media is forced to pay attention to guys like Beilein that are still playing.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
Really good profile on Coach B...I hope he stays forever. He embodies everything I love in a coach: success, humbless and the occasional:
And subs.
November 12th, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^
I could watch that gif all day. Mostly I wonder what B said right before Stauskas steps betwen them. The ref was going to follow B and continue the spat before others pulled him away. The timing was perfect, with MSU on a mini-run and ready to take control. Seemed to impede MSU's momentum just enought for UM to comeback get out of that hellhole with a win.
November 12th, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^
My coach went toe to toe with ref...no tech called!!
I can only recall JoePa before going into locker room running up to ref doing something like this and getting away with it.
Love my coach!!
November 12th, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
The article mentioned the movie Saving Privite Ryen being based on their family. Super movie! I have a feeling that that is not the last movie about the family. The Beilein Story would be a blockbuster! I would actally go to the theater to see it!
Humm.... Who should play Coach Beilein.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
I've come to hate the term "Michigan Man" but if there's a template for one, Beilein is it. And he proves that it has absolutely nothing to do with a former relationship to the university and its athletic programs.
He took that coaching job that required he handle the golf team, too. Wonder if he could swing a little football on the side here? At any rate, the person that replaces Hoke (assuming that an opening will soon exist) should demonstrate many of the qualities that we love in Beilein.
Hiring him has been one of the most genius moves ever made by Michigan Athletics.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
Don't hate the term "Michigan Man." It's a great term coined by an icon of the University. Hate the morons that have turned it into meaning "former coach" or "alum." It's neither of those.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
Beilein is truly as humble and classy of a man that many people say that he is. I still remember one time the fall after his first season at Michigan, my friends and I saw him waiting to pick up food at the Brown Jug. So one of my friends worked up the courage to walk over there and asked if we could buy him a beer. He politely declined the beer but he walked over to our table. We thought he was just going to say hey, but he grabbed a chair and sat down with us, asking us questions about what we studied, and aplogized for having such a terrible season his 1st year. He talked to us for a good 5-10 minutes, until his food was ready and gave us a "Go Blue and hope to see you at Crisler this year" before he left.
I know, I know, cool story bro.
November 12th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
and winning wherever he's gone. And we are now enjoying the fruits of that bountiful career and rise from a decision to leave a ditchdigger job thanks to encouragement from his dad.
Thanks to Mlive's staff and Brendan Quinn, the Beilein profile is one of the best portrait pieces I've read in years. This is outstanding work from the team of folks who produced it. And we are richer for it.
I think Beiein's career arc from a small town in upstate New York to one of the best universities in the country illustrates the dream most kids have and few actually achieve. Simple values and determination combined with fortunate circumstances which vibrate through the universe signalling themselves like small beacons in the dark. It's up to us to see them and take advantage of them like John Beilein has.
No doubt he is a great basketball coach. But I think, and I believe many would agree, he's a better person, which, to me, is the greater compliment.
November 12th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
The best articles I've ever read on MLive
November 12th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^
but -
the one about the the candidate for state rep who likes to masturbate in police cars was pretty good too
Felony convictions linked to sexual fetish 'haunt me,' Saginaw state House candidate says
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/06/saginaw_republican_…
November 12th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
"You may not respect my policies, you may not respect my ideas, but you at least have to respect me as a person," Haskins said.
Pretty good last line. I try not to be too judgmental, but I don't know if I have to respect someone who did that...
November 12th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
look I get it, people have fetishes -
but his was very specific
November 12th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
The Michigan football team has become an embarrassment, the worst it's ever been in my 40 years of fandom. The Michigan basketball team has made me proud, the best it's ever been in my 40 years of fandom.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:30 PM ^
I know they look horrible on offense but the 3-9 season has to be worse, no?
November 12th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^
Yeah, I'm willing to admit the 3-9 year is an unworthy contender for the title of most embarrassing year. The difference: that was the first year of a new coach, so there was still hope for the future. When the embarrassment on the field happens during the fourth year, that's worse.
November 12th, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
Opinions are like a$$holes, and mine stinks. :)
November 12th, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^
Also, as awesome as the Beilein years have been, they can't top 1989.
November 12th, 2014 at 1:27 PM ^
Speaking of a class act. Did any of you notice when Walton got hurt on what I thought was a hard foul but I couldn't be sure because I was blocked out by the hoop base?
Anyway, when Walton hobbled to the free throw line and could barely stand there was a timeout called. Coach Beilein didn't call that timeout, the Wayne State coach did. I belive their coach called the timeout to give Walton a chance to get himself straightened out since it was his player that hurt him (allegedly) I said aloud at the time that that was a class act. The people in front of me agreed. Here's props to him too.
November 12th, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
November 12th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
Great article. Here's a photo gallery for the piece from mlive many of you would probably find interesting as well:
http://photos.mlive.com/8002564/gallery/photo_gallery_this_is_john_bei/index.html#/0
November 12th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
First Beilein is awesome. I love him too. Now the part that will get me negged. I hope he doesn't have a down year. I recall just a few short months ago a similar lovefest for Coach Hoke, many in fact. Especially after a recruit praises our program for being so family oriented and such. Do all of the now Hoke bashers remember their lovefest back in August? Up until September 5th most everyone loved Coach Hoke. Now read the blog. Stay stong Coach Beilein, keep the team winning, or else. I love both coaches.
November 12th, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
The difference is that John Beilein has won 2 B1G titles and appeared in a national championship. Hoke has not nor will he ever do anything of the sort. Also, general competence. One has it, one doesn't.