We were lucky: a quick thought on John Beilein
I hope the mods will indulge me here (I am, after all, a long time and not universally terrible poster). Brian will undoubtedly produce a better and longer account of John Beilein's tenure at Michigan, but I want to make a quick point.
By definition, a small group of people make it to the height of their professions. We often admire them, but they frequently aren't particularly admirable or even respectable in any way beyond being world class in their fields. I think we've even come to take it for granted (too much so) that the singer, politician, businessman, athlete is great at one thing but also hits his wife, cheats on his taxes, treats her staff like dirt, or worse.
We hope our teams, political parties, home towns, etc. will add or keep such high performing people. And we'll often overlook their flaws (I have been guilty of this too) so long as they're helping our side win.
It's fairly rare as far as I can tell that a person is an elite performer and a respectable person in a general sense. And it's even more rare when you get to be part of such a person's tribe.
With John Beilein at Michigan, we got to root for a man who was widely recognized as one of the best minds in his field but who was also so ethical that he imposed standards on himself that were not required by the rules that governed his profession. He refused to offer scholarships to recruits whom he thought were too young for recruiting even when he was permitted to do so. He once stuck to NCAA recruiting standards even when he was allowed an exemption because he was recruiting his own son. He made no promises about playing time or being featured in his offense. He offered no false "love." His idea of going "crazy" was to have subs (yes, this doesn't quite fit). He was a leader in his field as far as how to conduct oneself off the court - well, he would have been had coaches cared more about ethics.
So we were lucky. Our man in the arena wasn't just coaching the right team, our team. He genuinely deserved to win (as much as anyone does). He genuinely was a good guy. He genuinely was admirable even when you did not conflate success with decency. And he was the rare person in sports who made looking up to coaches and athletes as people - and not just high performers - something an adult could reasonably do. So, at the risk of repeating myself, we were fortunate to have him. Thank you, Coach Beilein, for everything.
Well written and well said. Beilein’s replacement will have nearly impossible shoes to fill.
This is a good diary.
There are probably a dozen threads, 2 main page posts, and countless other content elsewhere to look through, and many more to come. What's done is done. Beilein is a great guy and coach, and he's also not exactly young. If this is where he chooses to take his career, I am sick to my stomach but still wish him well. CBB is such a cesspool and everything Beilein accomplished was with one hand tied behind his back. I definitely wouldn't blame him if he decided to leave after the complete, flipping bullshit ejection. The league owed him an apology. At the time, I hoped Warde would stand up for him, maybe he did, don't know...in any case, it's not OK to treat someone that way when he did nothing, and other coaches get away with everything.
That said, Diaries have a longer shelf live then the Message Board. I'm glad this was posted so people we be able to see it and comment for weeks (months?).
I agree with Erik -- Beilein had a great run here at Michigan and we are fortunate to have had him as our coach.
...three weeks later and it still visible on the Diary list.
I agree completely. Beilein is a rare guy. I have been blessed with many memories cheering for our team with my kids, for all the right reasons, led by a quality individual. What else could you ask for? Go blue, always!
As a 30 year old guy, I first starting following UM basketball in my mid teens during the Daniel Horton and then the Sims/Harris days. While I really enjoyed rooting for those teams, it's really amazing to see how far the program has come and how much more invested I am in the program, which is of course due to the success and integrity of JB. It's safe to say I wouldn't be much of a fan without his time here.
Thanks for all the enjoyment and the memories you helped create JB, and I will be rooting for you to succeed in Cleveland.
John Beilein has now accomplished the impossible. I will actually root for a team from Ohio.
I was already a Cavs fan. I still wish he would've stayed at Michigan.
And, I'm still pissed he got (effectively) one quarter of a season of Mitch McGary at his full potential.
Imagine what hell the past 12 years of UM athletics would have been without Beilein.
As much as I like John Beilein, and I knew about him before many Michigan fans did, because my husband went to West Virginia, he's lucky he found Michigan because it was the perfect fit for him.
Nailed it, Erik.
I will always root for John Beilein. He was nothing but good for us.
I agree deeply, absolutely, whole-heartedly, Michiganly, and every other-ly way. Good job, Erik.
Well said. It's been hard to grasp that this halcyon period is now over. I hope the next era is as enjoyable as the last, but it'll be with different methodologies and culture. Beilein is impossible to replicate, we can only hope to replicate some of the results that his admirable qualities produced.
I hope for the sake of our children, grandchildren, etc., that it's not too rare that the best in their fields are people of character.
It is undoubtedly way more fun to root for people that also have great character. And it's disappointing that (for now) Beilein won't win the national title his talent and character so richly deserve.
Thanks for posting.
In a game full of bad guys it was nice to root for a good guy.
Sure.
His decision was still dirt stupid on a personal level and it probably set back the program he built.
I'll always like Beilein, but this was a definite blow to his legacy and I almost 100% guarantee he will regret it later.
Definite blow to his legacy? Let's see...
1. He's had a 42 year career starting at the bottom as a high school JV coach and going all the way to the NBA.
2. He did that without a wiff of scandal meaning he did it with one hand tied behind his back.
3. He was an innovator on offense. His offense was there for the dawn of "positionless" basketball. He may well have invented the stretch 4.
4. He was a mediocre defensive coach who realized (in his 60's) that he needed to change and hand the keys to the defense to a better defensive coach. What successful guy in his 60's does that? To achieve what he has and remain humble is almost unheard of.
5. He treated everybody around him with respect. Compare that to some coaching God like Nick Saban.
6. At age 66, when most people are looking to retire, he wanted a new challenge at the only level of basketball he never tried. The highest level.
So Scooter, John Beliein's legacy is etched in granite. No matter what happens in Cleveland.
All of this is true, but in 20 years from now who but the most avid fans will remember this? If he had stayed at Michigan and continued to meet with success, it is quite possible that something would have been named after him.
He was here 12 years. I don't think we're going to forget him anytime soon.
Amen. To think we had John Beilein when we might have had Rick Pitino instead just is mind boggling. Thank you John and good luck in the NBA. I will always root for your success.
Character, talent, and success too rarely converge, it seems.
We were fortunate not only to share the experience, but to recognize it.
Good luck on the next stage of your journey, JB.
Excellent piece.
We owe John Beilein a lot. He was to Michigan basketball, what Bo was to Michigan football. We were very lucky to have him.
bottom line for me is that a loyal man would not leave a team and a school in the lurch with a May jump. although, he was only making $4 M or so. apparently the squalor of big time college basketball only started recently, after john made millions.
great b-ball mind. good game c oach. decent man. but c'mon, john is no saint. does he show more integrity than the average izzo? sure. but, what great honor is there in going beyond to comply with the rules of a corrupt NCAA? john looks better when taken in the context of his contemporaries actions in the cesspool of big time college basketball. a cesspool that john swam in long enough to become wealthy.
I can't get myself to "Thanks for the memories" just yet. I'm still on "how could you do this to us?" Beilein will probably go down as my favorite Wolverine coach ever, so I'll get there.
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