John Beilein inducted into NCAA Basketball Hall of Fame

Submitted by StephenRKass on November 23rd, 2022 at 6:27 PM

Back in June, it was announced that John Beilein would be inducted into the NCAA Basketball Hall of Fame. Here is an article from the Free Press on the induction:

John Beilein turns doubt into prosperity on path to college basketball Hall of Fame

I loved Beilein's tenure here as Michigan basketball coach. There were 10 rough years after Fisher, under Coach Ellerbe and Amaker. I wondered if things would ever improve. Beilein was far better than expected. He was also so well respected by his colleagues. It is great to see him receive this well-deserved honor.

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John Beilein
NCAA Basketball Hall of Fame

M-Dog

November 24th, 2022 at 3:14 AM ^

On top of that, he has always done more with less.

I used to think that.  But it turned out that he did more with different. 

He got the guys that he wanted, to play the game he wanted to play.  There was no talent shortfall, they regularly ended up in the NBA.

 

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Fishbulb

November 23rd, 2022 at 6:43 PM ^

I know the dad of a Michigan basketball starter who played under Beilein. I couldn’t resist to ask if he truly was a great guy. The dad immediately said yes, just a great guy all around and they still keep in touch. He also confirmed that Moe Wagner was universally beloved. 

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StephenRKass

November 23rd, 2022 at 6:57 PM ^

Wow. That's a great anecdote. Thanks for sharing.

I will say, from my perspective as a preacher, Beilein was always fairly circumspect about his Roman Catholic faith. It was never something he wore on his sleeve. He never proselytized. He was fairly private. But at the same time, he was one of the most ethical, moral, upright coaches I can think of. No dirty pool. No grandstanding for the public, when his private life was very different.

When you think of Beilein, you don't think of the kind of lap dances or bump and grind that happened with Urban Meyer when he was with the Jaguars. When you think of Beilein, you don't think of Louisville and Pitino and stripper parties and sex for the recruits.

Even though Louisville had to vacate the 2013 national championship won against Michigan, Beilein never complained. Even though Michigan got jobbed in that game with a phantom foul, Beilein never complained. He was a classy, joyful, happy act, always, in every way.

I have great hopes for Juwan Howard and the current team. But Beilein left some large shoes to fill. 

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swn

November 23rd, 2022 at 6:46 PM ^

I have lived through 12 combined hoops and football coaches (Frieder and Bo I don't really remember) and he's easily my favorite.

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907_UM Nanook

November 23rd, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^

Coach B is a selfless leader. Rarely do we ever see a coach who has a bigger heart than their ego. His resume is Hall worthy, not sure there's another coach who has climbed a similar ladder from bottom to top & had his level of success.

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UMForLife

November 23rd, 2022 at 6:57 PM ^

A great coach and a great Ambassador for the game of basketball. Well deserved honor. He pulled the program to great heights with so little. Such a great guy.

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Nervous Bird

November 23rd, 2022 at 7:44 PM ^

Forever grateful to Coach Beilein, he resurrected the program, and left it exponentially better than he inherited it. Add to that his grace, class and integrity, he's easily my favorite coach of all time - any sport, any team!

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1VaBlue1

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:53 PM ^

Amaker reestablished some integrity and respect for the program after the dead period.  And then Beilein accelerated that into national prominence for all the right reasons.  I really wish he would have bagged one of the two Championship Games he got into.  He deserved one of those every bit as much as he deserves this Hall induction.

Congrats, Coach - and thanks for the great memories!

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Ernis

November 23rd, 2022 at 10:41 PM ^

I remember the first Beilein game I attended at Crisler. One of the first things he did was get some new lights in the building, so it wasn't quite the funeral parlor vibe of before, but it still had a very soft, mellow feel to it. Hoops games were a great place to relax and study in the empty upper rows, with only the rhythmic, soft squeaking of sneakers and ambient hum of the handful of engaged fans, it was in some respects more peaceful than the near-absolute silence of a library. But seeing Beilein on the sideline drew my attention. I didn't know anything about him, but I immediately got the impression that this was a great human being who would lead the team to success. This new coach had that kind of presence, inspiring confidence in a guy who couldn't see the details of his face or hear his voice. I don't remember who we played or whether we won (I think we lost, actually), but the impression he made vividly remains in my mind's eye.

Jump ahead just a year when Michigan hosted Duke. The place was packed and more fired up than I'd ever seen. It was a real, big-time game atmosphere, with plenty of Duke fans showing up (undoubtedly self-assured of their imminent victory). I'm not sure how many M fans expected to (or believed the team would) win, but the Michigan faithful filled the stadium with enthusiasm. And as Harris, Sims, Novak, Douglass and co. lit up the court, the whole place was just electric. I never thought I'd see the day, but I was thrilled to be there and witness a moment of creation - a team asserting itself and never looking back. John Beilein is an inspiration and the identity of U of M is permanently improved by his time here.

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M-Dog

November 24th, 2022 at 3:11 AM ^

Congratulations to coach Beilein.  He pretty much revolutionized the way the game is played.

And the Bee Line was one of the best things ever.

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Sam1863

November 24th, 2022 at 5:45 AM ^

I remember reading Michael Rosenberg's column in the Free Press many years ago (long before he deservedly became persona non grata around here.) Michigan was looking for a new basketball coach, and Rosenberg threw his support behind going after the head coach at West Virginia - some guy I'd never heard of named Bileen or Byline or something like that.

Proof that even a idiot muckraking squirrel can find a nut once in a while.

Congratulations, Coach, and thank you. You did this place proud.

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Engin77

November 24th, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^

I was fortunate to meet Coach Beilien at the Final Four in Atlanta.  I thanked him for restoring Michigan Basketball to the upper echelon of college basketball.  He smiled and assured me the best was yet to come.  Great coach, greater human being.

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