Beilein: "I know that what I should have done is retire at Michigan at that time and then re-evaluated."
“I know that what I should have done is retire at Michigan at that time (after the 2018-19 season) and then re-evaluated. With another group going pro and all the rule changes coming, NIL and the (transfer) portal, all that on the way, the timing was right to retire, then maybe look at being an assistant in the pros, and then entertain the idea of being (an NBA head coach). But I convinced myself and everybody else that I could (rebuild an NBA team) and the truth was, I couldn’t.”
Literally words from John Beilein himself (one month ago in an interview in The Athletic). Yet people keep listing losing Beilein as a failure of the AD.
In other interviews he's called leaving Michigan a "mistake" and he's repeatedly said that leaving had nothing to do with Michigan.
Yet there is this narrative, that Warde Manuel lost Beilein. As if he could've prevented the roster turnover and stopped guys from going pro, made coaches around the country stop cheating, halted NIL and the portal, and prevented NBA teams from coming after Beilein.
Bakich? 100% on Warde...but there is no way you can put Beilein on anyone at Michigan.
...just a reminder because just today 3 different posters have used Beilein as a reason to fire Warde (there are plenty...this isn't one of them, stop spreading lies).
January 12th, 2023 at 9:34 PM ^
Does he still want to coach. I’d take him back in a heartbeat
January 12th, 2023 at 9:39 PM ^
Don't tease me
January 12th, 2023 at 9:42 PM ^
He's about to be 70 I think. Be glad to have him as an assistant or in an advisory role, but that's too old to start over as a D1 Head Coach IMO.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:26 PM ^
I’d take him back in a heart beat
January 13th, 2023 at 5:22 AM ^
That's sort-of what he currently does with the Pistons. I believe he's their head of player development, which is a perfect position for him to be in. He will likely retire there.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:04 AM ^
It's not too old, and he would not be starting over at all.
January 13th, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
Well if he's here, Howard is gone. Which means Jett is probably gone. And Dickinson. So yeah, he'd be starting from scratch with what's left on that roster.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:34 PM ^
Warde is going to have a Juwan problem soon enough as his teams continue to get worse, which means they can't overcome his disastrous +/- final 4 mins of a game, which has haunted the last three teams.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:36 PM ^
The candidates that were interviewed were not good
January 13th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
Ed Cooley has actually been really good since that offseason
January 13th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
Likely different candidates when hiring "on cycle" this time vs. last
January 12th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
This is a tough crowd. So Juwan’s early success is going to be held against him as he struggles with a young team? They aren’t losing games late because of Juwan’s coaching, they’re getting beaten because of lack of experience in crunch time.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:43 AM ^
Juwan as a coach I think has been everything we hoped, Juwan as a roster constructor has left much to be desired and that’s where most people’s frustration comes from. Brian has pointed this out so many times on the podcast & in columns but we haven’t had a 2-year starter at PG since Juwan arrived. I think we can attribute that partly to Frankie, because his situation was unique and frustrating and ultimately screwed this current team, but also to the fact that Juwan seems to not have contingencies in place for injuries, transfers, etc.. There’s also something to be said about Juwan’s tendency to go whale hunting in recruiting with no backup plan (re: Isaiah Collier) which then puts the roster at a major disadvantage.
it seems patently unfair to call Juwan a bad coach, he’s proved consistently to be an excellent coach. The frustrations are breeding due to his seemingly constant struggle to make sure the teams he’s coaching have a balanced amount of talent to get him to the finish line.
January 13th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
we haven’t had a 2-year starter at PG since Juwan arrived.
Didn't we say the same thing about Harbaugh and QBs? His first 3 years, we had 4 different starters at QB. It wasn't until Shea Patterson that we actually had someone start at QB 2 years in a row, and that was Harbaugh's 4th and 5th seasons as head coach.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
If you want top flight recruits then almost all of your teams are going to be relatively young.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
16 shots for Dug. 6 shots for Hunter. that's coaching. iowa had nobody that could check HD.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Thank you....
Beilein took Michigan basketball to the championship game and then an elite 8. They then missed the tourney one season and struggled to start the next season and people were starting to suggest he should be fired. He wasn't and then led Michigan to 3 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances and got them back to the championship game again.
Harbaugh turned a 5-7 team into a team that was 1 bad spot away from likely going to the CFP in 2 seasons. There's no doubt he struggled against rivals but overall was putting together solid seasons. He still to this day has not lost a home game to a team that isn't MSU or OSU. But he had one bad season in a weird pandemic year that many strong programs struggled and 90% of the fanbase wanted him fire. He wasn't and then led Michigan to back to back CFP appearances.
Now after 2 straight 2nd weekend tourney appearances there is growing chatter about firing Howard. Now I get it, Juwan does not have the track record that Beilein and Harbaugh have. I get that even though they made the Sweet 16 last year the season in general felt like a disappointment. I get that the program seems like its on a downward trend and there are recurring issues that haven't been fixed. I get all that, but have we learned anything? I'm not saying Howard should have the type of security that the other 2 have been afforded but lets recognize that Howard was able to coach those first 3 teams to tourney seasons, including Michigan's first 1 seed since the Fab Five. They might have won it all if Livers doesn't get hurt. Doesn't matter if half the team were Beilein guys, he was the coach, he did the work to get them to be a great team. I don't think that's a fluke. He has a lot of stuff to clean up, but we need to give him the opportunity to do so. If he doesn't make changes this offseason, or he does and the program is still struggling, sure chatter about moving on is fair. But right now? Let's give him some time.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:15 PM ^
There is no Juwan problem. He slaps.
January 13th, 2023 at 10:07 AM ^
Ok, that's funny. Neary spit out my coffee this morning.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:28 PM ^
Warde had a Beilein problem.
Warde has a Harbaugh problem.
Warde may have a Howard problem.
It seems that we have a Warde problem
January 12th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^
The OP digs up an old Beilein quote for only one reason, to defend Warde. That is a red flag especially since a lot of bad PR is coming out about Warde’s handling of Harbaugh. So, is the OP Warde’s account or a buddy?
BTW, Warde did a shitty job with Beilein. The quote doesn’t defend him.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:52 AM ^
Belein is to blame for leaving Michigan, that seems pretty damn obvious from what he said. It’s only Warde’s fault that Belein left because I believe his buyout was next to nothing. From what I recall, Belein basically wrote his own contract at M, then proceeded to leave. Apparently people around here think NIL, the portal, and constant recruiting just isn’t shitty enough to make our basketball and our football coach think about jumping to the pros. Spoiler alert, it is.
January 13th, 2023 at 3:53 AM ^
NIL is a huge problem that no one is addressing. But that has nothing to do with Beilein and Warde. Beilein is the type of person to take full responsibility for his actions even when he’s not so you have to discount what he says. And Warde was his boss at the time. He did nothing to keep him and clearly his ongoing management of Beilein was completely uninvolved. Anyone who has managed people or who have been managed knows that’s not how you manage a critical employee.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:21 AM ^
Huh? Warde is singlehandedly responsible for Michigan's NIL incompetence. Literally everyone else around the program wants to step it up, and Warde is the obstacle.
January 13th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
Are we ignoring that whole "NIL collectives need no permission from the University, and it's illegal/against the rules for the university to give them money or manage them in anyway"?
January 13th, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
Bakich? 100% on Warde...but there is no way you can put Beilein on anyone at Michigan.
...just a reminder because just today 3 different posters have used Beilein as a reason to fire Warde (there are plenty...this isn't one of them, stop spreading lies)
From end of the OP above (emphasis mine). I don't think Warde or his buddies wrote that.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:44 PM ^
Football school.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:28 AM ^
It’s genuinely shocking. His teams have zero mental toughness at the end of games or overtime and he draws up atrocious plays that rely on hero ball like he’s in the NBA. It’s a persistent problem that he doesn’t care to fix
January 13th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
I hear you loud and clear but sometimes you need a hero in those last possessions to make a play. Going to option 5 Dugie on the road at Iowa for last shot Really? Jett had been the hero all night, Dickinson is one good entry away from easy bucket. Even if those two don't take the shot they must must must must be involved in the action to force a double or help for setting up someone else. Dumbest thing I've ever seen putting ball in Dugs hands hoping for a floater. The next part of that is Dickinson needs to demand the ball and Jett has to want it and go get it. My gawd draw a play up for one of them!
January 14th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
wasn't there only like 2.8 seconds left when we inbounded the ball for the last shot?
January 12th, 2023 at 9:35 PM ^
I wouldn't even put Bakich on Warde - Big 10 baseball is a mid-major and Clemson offers him a more consistent path to national success in the ACC.
Beilein left for reasons that were always outside of UM's control, and while it sucks he left there's not much you can do about it.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:38 PM ^
Actually worried he might end up at IU if they tank this year now.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:53 PM ^
Bakich to Indiana?
January 12th, 2023 at 9:59 PM ^
I thought they meant Beilein to Indiana.
Which--sure, maybe ten years ago when Beilein was 60. Maybe even five years ago. I just don't see it now.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:07 PM ^
Also, I think Mike Woodson is a bit overrated as an HC but he's not going to be fired 2 years into his run with a team that is at least going to make the tournament and has some nice wins.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:06 PM ^
Beilein turns 70 in a few weeks. I don't think IU will hire him.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^
Nah, Woodson has lost two major players in his rotation. Lose two starters to injuries and any/every team will struggle.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:54 AM ^
A level headed assessment when Ann Arbor torch and pitchfork is out for Warde? I had a shitty day at work yesterday and I’m pretty damn sure it was Warde’s fault.
January 13th, 2023 at 5:57 AM ^
Some asshole cut me off in traffic. I sped up to see who the driver was and sure enough.
Next time use your turn signal Warde.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:44 AM ^
Username checks out.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
At least he was driving his own car!
/ducks!
January 13th, 2023 at 6:07 AM ^
Bakich should have been fired before he left anyways.
or so we thought….
/s
January 13th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
I would put Bakich on the entire shoulders of Warde and those that support the Leaders and Budget. You think UMs athletic department cant do what it takes to keep our best option at baseball coach? We made the championship game for the love of god.
The Big ten conference doesnt hire our coach we do. Be the leaders and best and step the fuck up. Gonzaga doesnt wallow in "mid major" self pity in basketball and they dont have 1/100th the backing our baseball team SHOULD have. We recycle the same takes here with out giving it some serious thought.
This Warde dragging ass with Harbaughs contract thing tells me all I need to know about what Warde did to keep Bakich. This board can be one collective mind on this subject but we shouldve fought hard for Bakich and its obvious we didnt. Why would anyone here be ok with that?
January 12th, 2023 at 9:38 PM ^
Dude, you’ve been single handidly carrying the water for Warde since you read my eviceration of that useless turd this afternoon.
HIS FUCKING BOSS HAD TO TAKE OVER TO TRY AND FIX THINGS. If Santa’s text and Jim’s response didn’t make you reevaluate your hero’s contribution to the common good, nothing will.
Warde is and always has been a useless, cowardly albatross around the Michigan athletic department. The next thing he doesn’t completely fuck up will be the first.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:48 PM ^
if this guy could just say what he really thought, that would be something
...
:)
January 12th, 2023 at 9:57 PM ^
he's shy
January 12th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
Well we are notoriously easy to please.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:20 PM ^
Amen.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:58 PM ^
Dude, why are you so upset? It’s not worth it. You literally have no control over any of this. Focus on things you can control. Ok Michigan sports suck, how does that have any bearing over your life? If your emotions are tied to how a bunch of college kids perform, I feel bad for you. People get too wrapped up in this stuff. You can’t let college athletics dictate your emotions. Too many people, other than you I imagine, make way too much money on this stuff to get upset about it.
Like all of us, you have no clue what any of these people do on a daily basis. All you know is what has been tweeted out a you coming to your own conclusions to fit your angry narrative. Unless you have been an AD or a President of a major university, you have no idea what you are talking about.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:35 PM ^
Dude...We are sports fans... We supply the money and enthusiasm to the entire sports world... If our money was not there... then.. there would not be any professional or semi-professional (college) sports.... I guarantee that you have watched a grade school, high school, or college game in any sport and said "That was stupid and I know better"... Did you have any control over that?? I also am betting when you said that --you were not an AD or President of a grade school or high school or college at that time... but still criticized...but yet you felt that way and still criticized...
So ease up on all of us that donate a lot of money to buy the right to say "what the fuck"...