A Luke Yaklich Story

Submitted by Double-D on
This an enjoyable read on coach Yaklich. It covers his improbable move to Michigan and Beilein’s ability to adapt. We have seen Beilein’s relationships, which are built on character and loyalty, pay dividends before with personel and player recommendations. Yaklich seems like a guy who has great leadership and coaching ability. He will have suitors after this Final Four. Here is to hoping we pay to keep him at Michigan and groom him for the future. https://sports.yahoo.com/assistant-coach-humble-roots-became-key-michig…

Bambi

March 26th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^

I don't agree that he'll have suitors after the tournament. I mean I guess there's a chance but he's been a college assistant for 5 years and a major conference assistant for 1. 6 years ago he was in high school. He's probably another year or two away from actually being poached.

Indy Pete - Go Blue

March 26th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^

I foresee him enjoying a somewhat brief dynastic run at Michigan. Combining him with Beilein,and the talent that we currently have and are bringing in next year, he is a smart enough guy to know that this is an unparalleled opportunity to string together multiple banner seasons before moving up in the coaching ranks. He is the perfect complement to Coach B. We need to enjoy every game and every season with these two coaches together. This is a special thing, and it may not be replicated again anytime soon.

massblue

March 26th, 2018 at 11:02 PM ^

For coaches out there — how unusual is this? A good coach who never played the game. Is this why he is a defensive specialist?



My guess is that it might be more common in basketball than football, hockey, or baseball. Just a guess.

Double-D

March 26th, 2018 at 11:22 PM ^

Yaklich. It’s similar to his recruiting process. It’s how he game plans. It reflects in the entirety of his program.

It’s the reason he finds underrated kids that have potential. It’s the reason those kids develop through fundamentals. It’s the reason problems with the kids are rare and the team has such camaraderie.

The next five years should be better than the last five.

Hail-Storm

March 27th, 2018 at 9:47 AM ^

Ender from Ender's game (book) is a genious kid at a military training school in space.  He's brilliant tactician that finds ways to win by doing things differently.  Other commandres in the school try to copy him by watching the same space battles he's watching but have no idea what they are getting out of it.  

MarqueeView

March 27th, 2018 at 12:38 AM ^

Never underestimate athletic directors’ propensity to make risky hires of dudes who have gotten a lot of recent media attention, and never underestimate an assistant coach’s desire to be the man in charge, even at a small school.



Yak is gone after this season.

Boner Stabone

March 27th, 2018 at 7:57 AM ^

Speaking from experience, I was the student/manager for my high school.  You learn a lot sitting next to the coaches and get a good feel of what they are trying to do.  After high school, the Varsity coach made me the head of scouting.  I went all over the place for 2 years  writing up scouting reports on our next opponents and having conversations with the head varsity coach. 

After doing that for a few years he was able to get me a good coaching gig at the sub varsity level.  So it is common for those of us not good at playing basketball to be involved in other aspects of the game.

charblue.

March 27th, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^

My impression after reading it though isn't that Yaklich will  jump from his job as defensive coordinator as Beilein assitstant to becoming a head coach somewhere else. It is one of sustaining what this team has accomplished. After all, it takes certain personnel to adapt to the kind of coaching that enables a team to transform its identity, and in this case, the transformation was hardly overnight. It had to be driven by winning.

It came through learning by doing, trial and error experience. It began with the emergence of Zavier's emergence as the team's leader on the floor who could command the offense and spearhead the defense, because that wasn't happening consistently as the the season progressed toward conference play.

For me, the turning point of the season, regardless of record, and defense adaptability, was beating UCLA at home after trailing by 15.

There were still ups and downs, understanding how to win by playing shutdown defense when your shooting eye is off and your opponent is making a concerted effort running you off the three-point line. As the guys now say, after Saturday's win, defense is our staple. And it is, because defense is about application of principles grounded iby pride through hustle and effort, and knowing that in this game, defense always leads to points and better shots in transition, and winning, no matter what else isn't working.

Because when everybody does their job on defense doing more leads to needing to say less about it. It just happens.

LSAClassOf2000

March 27th, 2018 at 10:10 AM ^

I don't understand the people who are predicting that Yaklich would just leave after this season really, and I've talked to a couple so far this week. It seems fare more likely he build on this and have a longer stint at Michigan under Beilein on his resume before he considered offers, mainly because doing so means a better tier of offers, IMHO. At least, it seems like that's what a fair number of assistants elsewhere have done. 

Great read, BTW. Thanks for sharing. 

Hackett 4 President

March 27th, 2018 at 10:45 AM ^

Coach B is just awesome in how he operates. He is such a film freak that he even requested film on how his potential coaching hire actually coaches. I wonder how many other coaches out there look for this before making a hire.

BostonWolverine

March 27th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^

I say we pay him, naturally, but we also have a similar type of fan section as we did for Evan Smotrycz. Only THIS time: Yakwiches. That's right. Yaks. Between bread. 

Make it happen, Maize Rage. 

Alumnus93

March 27th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^

He will leave eventually, but most importantly Beilien now knows his shortcomings on D, and surely will have a DC.