Apr
7
Beilein to Michigan Tops Flurry of College Basketball Coaching Changes, Thus Far!
Filed Under Loose Balls
Of all the college basketball coaching changes thus far this offseason and boy there have been plenty of shakeups (Tubby Smith to Minnesota, Billy Gillespie to Kentucky, Bob Huggins to West Virginia) the University of Michigan’s hiring of John Beilein from West Virginia will certainly prove to be the most influential move. Beilein replaces fired coach Tommy Amaker, who was unable to get the Wolverines to the NCAA Tournament in his six years at the school; thus making it nine straight years in which the Maize and Blue has not gotten a bid in the Big Dance.
For a school that won a national title in 1989 behind sharp-shooting small forward Glen Rice and interim coach Steve Fisher and forever changed the look of basketball on all levels with the arrival of the Fab Five in the early nineties, Michigan and its basketball program had become an embarrassment and afterthought in years past due to scandals, probation and frustrating play. That’s what makes the hiring of Beilein so brilliant, especially when considering his history of quick work with programs that were far from being highly-thought of at the time or maybe even pronounceable for some (Canisius)!
Beilein’s Coaching Odyssey Much Different from His Michigan Predecessor!
While Amaker was a starting point guard at Duke and groomed under Coach K’s tutelage as an assistant at his alma mater before becoming a head coach at Seton Hall, Beilein literally took the road less traveled. After beginning his head coaching career in 1975 at Central High School in New York and staying there for three seasons, Beilein moved to three different colleges over the next 15 years–Erie Community College, Nazareth College and Le Moyne College–and never even had an assistant coach at any of those far-from-familiar coaching locales.
After getting hired at Canisius in 1992, Beilein reportedly met his assistants and asked them what they do all day. He then proceeded to take the school to three postseason tournaments in five seasons, including a first round NCAA appearance during the 1995-1996 season. Two years later, Beilein further demonstrated his propensity to beat all the odds and foreshadowed future things to come when his 14th-seeded Richmond Spiders knocked off third-seed South Carolina in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. The Spiders then lost to a Washington Huskies team led by former NBA center Todd MacCulloch in the next round.
Following this success in his first season at Richmond, Beilein got to the NIT in his fourth and fifth seasons at the school before being hired at West Virginia in 2002. Like Beilein’s Spiders, the Mountaineers were a pleasant surprise in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. After beating seventh-seeded Temple by 30 points in the first round, West Virginia knocked out Huggins and his two seed Cincinnati Bearcats on a last second three pointer in the second round before bowing out in the Sweet Sixteen during a competitive game with National Finalist Utah.
However, such success was few and far between for West Virginia, which reached the pinnacle of its basketball achievement in 1959 when star guard Jerry West led the team to the National Championship Game (the Mountaineers lost by one point to Pete Newell’s California Golden Bears). When West Virginia came calling in 2002, Beilein took the job and quickly put the school’s basketball program back on the map.
Beilein’s 2004-2005 WVU Team Got Hot in the Big East Tournament and Carried over into the NCAAs, Introducing the World to the Phrase “YOU’VE BEEN PITTSNOGLED!”
After reaching the NIT in 2004 with his second WVU squad, Beilein and his unlikely cast of players–”center” Kevin Pittsnogle, guard Mike Gansey, forward Tyrone Salley, German-import Joe Herber, son Patrick Beilein, etc.–became the Cinderella of the Albuquerque Regional of the 2005 Tournament. As a seventh seed, WVU knocked off Creighton on a late dunk by Salley and then defeated two-seed Wake Forest in a thrilling double-overtime game in Cleveland. After knocking out Bob Knight and Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen, the Mountaineers jumped out to a big lead against Louisville in the Elite Eight before falling short in overtime in an absolutely-thrilling game at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A second-straight Elite Eight appearance was snatched from Beilein and WVU when they were knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2006 NCAA Tournament by a buzzer-beating three pointer from Texas senior guard Kenton Paulino. While N.C. State came calling last off-season for his services, Beilein stayed at WVU for one more year and did a very impressive job, especially when considering that he was making up for the loss of five of his top seven players.
While playing a rather weak non-conference schedule this past season, West Virginia knocked off then number-two ranked UCLA at home in February, went 9-7 overall in the regular season of the Big East and won one game in the Conference Tournament. And yet when NCAA Selection Sunday came around, West Virginia was left out out this year’s tournament, with little said about the snub (or for that matter, a snub even taking place).
Ultimately, even this year’s young West Virginia team proved that it was a force to be reckoned with in postseason play when it won five straight games to take the NIT Tournament Championship. Point guard Darris Nichols sent WVU into the NIT finals when he sunk a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Mississippi State 63-62 at Madison Square Garden. The Mountaineers then knocked off Clemson by five points in the NIT championship game. All and all, West Virginia finished 27-9 on the season, quite impressive for a team that some preseason publications had dead last in the Big East.
Soon after winning the NIT at West Virginia, Beilein was lured by Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin at the Final Four in Atlanta. He would sign a six year contract worth $1.3 million annually without even visiting the Ann Arbor campus. Of an interesting note, Beilein did not visit West Virginia’s campus prior to becoming the Mountaineers’ head coach. Michigan fans can certainly hope this symmetry will lead to similar success for Beilen’s future Michigan teams as compared to his previous WVU squads.
Beilein’s Style of Play Will Have Crisler Arena Buzzing!
Widely thought of by peers as being one of the most creative coaches in all of the game, Beilein’s offensive system is predicated on precise passing, constant motion, the back cut and three point shot. At WVU, Beilein’s offense took off with the unique skills of the 6-4 Gansey, a St. Bonaventure transfer who frequently moved off the ball and cut and jutted off the free throw line for either a slashing layup or kick-out to an open three point shooter, often to the 6-11 Pittsnogle, sharpshooting Patrick Beilein or Frank Young. Beilein’s West Virginia teams were also excellent at getting Gansey and Herber easy layups on back-door cuts off the wing and baseline.
With all that said, Beilein can arguably be ranked among the best coaches in terms of using the three-point line, implemented in college basketball in 1987, to offset a lack of athleticism and traditional low-post presence on his WVU’s team. Beilein’s Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen squads at WVU were especially known and frightening for their ability to stretch the defense with the three ball, which often served as a great equalizer for the team when facing Big East teams with tough inside presences.
On defense, Beilein’s teams often applied a 1-3-1 zone with Gansey serving at the top of the defense and constantly attacking the ball. In turn, Beilein’s most successful West Virginia teams were able to force a lot of turnovers just past half-court and get some easy 2-on-1 fast breaks and layups. This aggressive defense often offset for the team’s lack of rebounding against bigger teams.
While Amaker notably tried to make Crisler Arena a much more interactive and raucous arena for the Maize Rage student cheering section by pushing their seats closer to halfcourt and encouraging them to wear yellow shirts, ultimately his Michigan teams could not generate any consistentcy or outstanding buzz. Expect the opposite results with the low-key Beilein, who certainly doesn’t look the part of the wild man but had the WVU Coliseum rocking the past three years.
Beilein Was Deservedly Ready to Move On, and West Virginia’s Loss is Michigan’s Tremendous Gain!
While at West Virginia, Beilein had a $2.5 million buyout in which his new employer would have to pay the school in order for him to leave. According to some sources, this buyout was a main reason why Beilein did not leave for North Carolina State after last season. With that said, Martin said that Michigan would never pay the $2.5 million buyout for Beilein, who agreed that it was not Michigan’s responsibility to worry about. A statement from West Virginia’s general counsel office said that the issue is between Belein and WVU, and that both parties would like to come to a private resolution on the buyout.
While his lawyers are working on those details, Beilein has already begun to show returning Michigan players his Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen rings. Beilein has also said that he will take the Wolverines to the next level and suggested that there’s no magic formula in doing so. Beilein added that he has a certain feel to do things and that he will work hard everyday with his players, the University and its fans in mind in order to make sure that those things get done.
Having seen what he did for West Virginia during his five years in Morgantown, it’s safe to say that Michigan fans should be excited when the reserved Beilein makes such proclamations!
Interesting Beilein Tidbits
Beilein has had a winning season in 26 of his 29 seasons as a head coach.
With 551 career victories, Beilein is 22nd all-time in wins among NCAA Division-I coaches.
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