Prediction discussion: where does John Beilein end up next year?
So, I've had several discussions with my local Michigan fanbase on where JB will end up next year. A good amount think he'll come back into college bball coaching. I think he'll stick continue to be an analyst. So options are:
1. Coach again in college. If so, who?
2. Coach again in the NBA. If so, who?
3. Continue to be an analyst
4. Full on retire and be a fixture in Ann Arbor. FYI, he still lives in AA.
The recruiting challenge is huge at BC but do they get the same turnover? IDK. As an institution, BC aligns well with his Catholic values so I could see that being attractive.
Turnover where though? With the new transfer rules, NBA early entry isn't the only way players are leaving programs now.
I'll cast a vote for 3 and 4.
Why at 68 would he want to take on coaching duties at a new college? It takes a few years to get your system and players in to place...which puts him in his early 70's.
Does someone at that age really want to get back in to the grind of recruiting, dealing with the politics of coaching at the college level, motivating and coddling college kids, etc?
Hopefully 3 and 4 but if he does choose 1 I’m hoping it’s BC. I doubt he goes back to the nba
I would rather see him continue to be an analyst as I love his commentary on the game. However, my gut says he'll be back in coaching, but not in the B1G. Boston College seems like a solid destination.
I have yet to catch a game with Beilein do color. Is there a way to see what games he is doing? I'd check out a middling B1G game just to listen to Beilien.
I think he goes back to coaching on the Tom/Keno Davis, Dick/Tony Bennett, Bob/Pat Knight plan where he goes to a mid major with Patrick on his bench with the understanding he’ll retire after stabilizing the program. Thinking Western NY.
He left coaching college because of the transfer rules and guys leaving early every year. I don't see that changing anytime soon. I say he keeps doing what he's doing instead of starting over at his age.
Who knows?
Phil Martelli might be thinking about hiring John Beilein as another assistant.
If he wants to coach, Indiana is the perfect opportunity. And ND would also be a fit.
Would ND fire Mike Brey to replace him with a much older John Beilein?
I wouldn't because I think Brey is a decent coach. But there are rumors out there that ND may be moving on from Brey.
#2 NBA is dead after how the Cleveland job ended. Beilein is 68 years old, 5 years older than any other NBA coach not named Popovich.
I have to imagine the way the Cleveland job ended left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he might desire to have his career end on a higher note with a new college job. But I wonder if that feeling wears off with time. Does he really want to rebuild a new program at 68? It already seemed like he was frustrated with the direction of college basketball when he left with NBA early entry and recruiting. Does he now want to deal with new transfer rules? I guess it could make it easier to rebuild, but roster turnover is might be greater now than it was when he was at Michigan.
SUNY Albany. Position just opened and is close to where he got his start. He could take over the program, and use it as a way to get Patrick on his staff as a coach in waiting.
/s, but maybeeee
Maybe he can take over as the HC when Phil Martelli retires?
Coaching in college, probably at a place better than BC. Indiana and ND make a lot of potential sense.
Dude has been ambitious as hell his whole life and left a very good thing for a terrible NBA situation just to try and prove he could pull it off. Don’t see him chilling out to just teach and do family stuff yet.
My money says he goes somewhere he thinks he can contend for conference/national titles at in the next 3-5 years.
If anyone from the UM coaching tree is running the BC program next year, it will be Howard Eisley.
I guess, but it is pretty rare for assistants to get Power 5 jobs with no head coaching experience. I get that Juwan Howard is the exception, and Eisley is also an alum, but Michigan also had the unique situation where Beilein left in May at an awkward and difficult time to recruit a coaching candidate. I do think there is an alternate timeline where if Beilein left Michigan earlier in March that Michigan ends up with a more competitive coaching search where Juwan Howard possibly does not end up with the job.
Juwan was also one of the most respected assistants in the NBA and he cut his teeth under one of the most respected head coaches in the NBA. He was probably only a season or two away from landing an NBA head coaching job. I give credit to Warde because in hindsight, this wasn't such a stab in the dark or a huge gamble as many of us thought it was (though I agree that if Beilein had left in March, this would have been a very different search). Juwan's star power from his playing days also carries a lot of cachet on the recruiting trail.
I'm not sure the Juwan situation is replicable elsewhere. It was a unique set of circumstances that led to Juwan landing the Michigan job and Michigan landing Juwan.
Sitting home and counting his money.
Is Northwestern a possibility? Seems like a better fit than Indiana.
Beilein just turned 68. Its hard for me to fathom him wanting to go somewhere and take several years to build up another program. He'd be at least 71-72 by the time he got all of his guys. The only kind of job I could see him taking back in the coaching ranks is somewhere with very low expectations, like a Northwestern.
My guess is he retires from the coaching ranks, does some occasional commentating and analyst work for BTN, but remains in Ann Arbor for and just becomes a town fixture. Despite leaving for the Cavs he is still very beloved by the Michigan community and is undoubtedly part of why the basketball team has not skipped a beat since Howard came on board. I could see him going on a lot of those alumni fundraising tours, post-pandemic, and helping rev up further support for the program, but he's old enough now to where I don't think he wants to take on another big-time job.
If this was 5-10 years ago, possibly. But starting all over again at 68 is a tough ask. Especially for someone who's got heart issues.
In order of likelihood:
#3
#1, and if so, Michigan State (just jokin' Haven't a clue)
#4
#2, and if so, LA Lakers (again, a joke. No clue.)
You guys are going to hate this, but what about EMU? Rob Murphy will be finished after this year.
Of course he could do better, but he wouldn’t have to uproot himself. The recruiting pressure wouldn’t be nearly as difficult. And he could still be an adjunct/fixture at UM.
Honestly, I could see him coaching somewhere small like somewhere between DIII and high school in SE Michigan somewhere. I think John loves coaching but got burned out by the recruiting and NBA part of it once he really reached the top. Seems like he might have fun coaching somewhere small again in as his post-retirement job
I don't think he coaches again. I think the timeline of him getting a team to where it's successful does not matchup with his age
and Concordia hired a new men's coach just a year ago.... would have been a perfect situation for Coach B.
Unless he's just insanely bored I don't see it. The guy left college because he was over recruiting. Anyone firing a coach is going to be a multi-year reclamation project. Is he really taking a new job at 68, getting back into recruiting in the hopes he can maybe get a contender when he's 71/72?
I think he opens a sub shop. It'll be great.
My bold prediction is that he becomes Penn State’s coach. Football school with a pretty meh team. Stress to win would be low, and just making a tournament appearance would be a big deal
Otherwise, he stays an analyst.
Eh, zero percent chance of Beilein to Penn State, IMO.
Beilein is too smart to go to a school where basketball is arguably the fourth most popular sport (football, wrestling, hockey), and where the AD hasn't consistently supported the program.
The Penn State AD is too dumb and cheap to even talk to Beilein. Why talk to him when you can hire for cheap whatever random 45-year-old-already-and-not-really-up-and-coming coach last won the Patriot League instead?
My bold prediction is that he becomes Penn State’s coach. Football school with a pretty meh team. Stress to win would be low, and just making a tournament appearance would be a big deal
Otherwise, he stays an analyst.
Indiana or Northwestern.
Raback it.
I don't think he'd be hired in the NBA given his age and how Cleveland went. If I were him, I'd think analyst would be the best option, working in an enjoyable way while getting time to travel, see family, etc. and basically be in semi-retirement. Then again, I'm 30 years younger than he is and I wouldn't sign up for the exhaustion of being a D1 coach right now, so clearly he's a different person than I am.
I doubt he'd do it, but I'd honestly think coaching D3 would be fun for him. He could bring in a lot of talent in year 1, and get 4 years with almost all the kids he brought in, unless a few make the jump to D1. He'd be able to scratch the competitive itch while also having a more balanced life. Again, I doubt he'd do it, but Albion and Adrian are 45 minutes from Ann Arbor so he could do either without moving.
I cannot speak for John, but wouldn't that be cool if he just called it a career and became one of the people who walks up and down Arlington Boulevard (I think that's the neighborhood he lives in or near) and gives you stern looks as you nearly fail to see him going up each hill? In all seriousness though, that's what I kind of hope he does. It would be cool just to run into him and chat.
Worst case, IU
Best Case, EMUo
Most probably case: SUNY Binghampton or Buffalo? IDK which program would be balls-out to hire a guy of his age.
If I was pushing 70 and had a few million in the bank I'd live the easy life & just work on giving back, staying fit & active, and enjoying my friends & loved ones. Heck, I'll probably do that at 68 with nothing in the bank! :)
NO DOUBT. Im on cruise control rest of the way, golfin er day
Are you really pushing 70 and using the phrase "er day" correctly? I'm impressed sir!
Username is Die Hard.
No chance he will be a head coach in NBA. Am praying he doesn't end up in EL., because I don't think Izzo sticks around much longer. Having said that, i think he becomes the next Dan Dakich announcer, staying close to the game but not having to recruit.
I am watching the movie Hoosiers while reading this, so I guess a small High School in Indiana will be his next destination
I think he should and will go to an Ivy school. Clearly, recruiting is not his favorite thing and teaching basketball is.
I thought he left because of the problems that go along with getting elite recruits?! Why would he want to go to a big time program like iu (or any other)that's expects the same thing...and it will basically be a rebuild!
Izzo retires, MSU hires Phil Martelli, Beilein takes the spot Martelli had.
3 and 4
I wonder if how Beilein left college if he will coach again.
PAC 12 needs better coaches...please dear god not Indiana
Can he play defensive tackle?
Really selfishly hope he stays retired from coaching. He'd be a hell of a hire for an IU or someone.
Basketball analyst at U of M....per employment requirements of teaching his Leadership class. Servant leadership, something,yada yada. One can wish.