Has Beilein passed Izzo?

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on

Since 2010, Beilein has a 5-2 record against MSU, a big ten title, a Wooden Award winner, and a National championship game appearance. We lose Burke, Hardaway, and McGary and Beilein has this team poised for another Big Ten title and maybe more. 

wolverine1987

January 26th, 2014 at 9:56 AM ^

I LOVE Bellein, I wish he could recruit and coach football too. But Izzo, as Dick Vitale rightly says, is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Bellein is a great coach, but it will take a few more fiinal fours in the bext few years for him to pass Izzo, sorry.

yossarians tree

January 26th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^

My friend who is equally a Michigan and a State fan had a good observation. He said he thinks Izzo's guys are too robotically trained to play Izzo's system, that they can't just PLAY with freedom and abandon. In essence, Spartan basketball has become more about Izzo than it is about the players, and the players lock up. Michigan, on the other hand, is about the players and the team and the players find a flow together, and that is all Beilein cares about. I bet if you asked Beilein who he is greatest role model is, he would say it is The Wizard of Westwood.

Blue from Ohio

January 25th, 2014 at 10:23 PM ^

I don't know that he's passed Izzo, for his success Izzo is a hall of fame coach.  But I would say Beilein does more with less.  His players at West Virginia and Michigan up until this last recruiting class or so haven't been the so called "star" players that Izzo is able to land year in and year out and yet Beilein finds the right players for his system and develops them.  I sure hope to see the day when Beilein brings a national title to Michigan.  Go Blue!

Section 1

January 25th, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^

He currently is the winningest coach in basketball.

That's a fascinating proposition.  I'm guessing that there is a metric you have in mind for "winningest."  But I couldn't guess what it was, so I had to ask...  It's not career wins; and it cannot be career winning percentage.  The more I think about it, the more interested I am in what measure would make Coach Beilein the winningest coach in basketball, over Krzyzewski, Pitino, Boeheim, Ryan, Izzo, etc.

Coach Beilein is about 75th on the career wins list of collegiate coaches.  His winning percentage of around .625 is middle of the pack.  Tom Izzo, with a shorter head coaching career than Beilein, has more than a hundred fewer career wins but a significantly better winning percentage (and by any measure more big game wins) than Beilein.

Section 1

January 26th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^

I should correct one badly worded sentence:

His winning percentage of around .625 is middle of the pack.

That is to say, Beilein's .625 winning percentage is middle of the pack among other elite 600+ win coaches.  It's quite a good number, by iteself.  But it isn't a metric that makes Beilein a "winningest" coach in basketball.

Edit. - I see that my fans have chosen to neg me for simply questioning how Beilein might be "the winningest coach in basketball," but nobody has answered the question.

TIMMMAAY

January 26th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^

However, it appears I'm wrong. I meant among current NCAA coaches, as I had read that somewhere just last week. I must have misunderstood what I read, apparently. Though I really don't understand your Beilein fervor. You're just as dogged about him as you are RR, but for opposite reasons. I don't understand. 

BlueCube

January 25th, 2014 at 10:32 PM ^

success. That being said, Izzo took advantage of Michigan's bad years to build a dynasty that made him godlike. I doubt he would have done it with decent competition from Michigan. I think he's feeling the pressure now. He isn't getting the players the last couple of years and Michigan is not yet peaking on recruiting success from their tournament run and success this year.

I see the tide turning. MSU will still be strong but the dominate days may be behind them.

Krakhead

January 25th, 2014 at 10:25 PM ^

I think they are in the same class.  The trouble is that Beilein seems to be a nice, low key guy, and won't get the limelight like Izzo does.  It is also hurts that his rise has occoured along with the B1G, so it doesn't look as dominant.  I hope he can keep it up.

Double-D

January 26th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

You make a great point. What Beilein has done with Sparty being so strong is amazing. izzo had a very marginal record until Traylor rolled the Explorer with Mateen in the car. Mateen went to State,sanctions came and Izzo took adavantage to his credit. I think his mental games gets old on his kids and Beilein has made UofM a great alternative. I see UofM and Beilein passing Sparty as a program.

ClearEyesFullHart

January 26th, 2014 at 12:22 AM ^

They've got a nice Walton-like point guard coming in next year, but I certainly expect MSU to drop off some when Payne, Appling and Harris leave nex year.  Probably a bubble team, but you never know.

I hate Izzo.  I would sooner send my son to be coached by Tom Crean.  I hate the way he coaches his team to play defense like an offensive line.  I hate the way he whines before during and after the game.  I hate the way he alternately berates his players during games and in the media, while making excuses for any of his own shortcomings(after saying something clever like "I am not making excuses but...").

I think Michigan's program is headed to the top just as MSU's is about to fizzle out.

But I cannot say that Beilein has passed Izzo until he wins a national championship.

 

MGoBender

January 26th, 2014 at 1:08 AM ^

That's a little far... Izzo has gone way, way out of his way to defend his players just this week.  Specifically, he said that anyone that complains or has anything to say about Dawson's injury can have his personal phone number to call him.  Sure, it's just talk, but he definitely IS defending his players in the media, as he did post-game tonight.

I hate his angry midget tantrums, but as a bball coach myself, I am fascinated by how great of a coach he is.  Watch some of his coaching clinic tapes - many of the clips are on YouTube.  He's a great coach.  Just as Beilein is a great coach.

This is the new 10-year war.  Beilein vs. Izzo.  Let's enjoy it - we are lucky to have such great programs within one state and even more lucky  to be fans/alumnae of the team that's won 5 of 7!

tbeindit

January 26th, 2014 at 9:33 AM ^

MSU's recrutiing overall and has been hit and miss for a few years now.  You can probably say this about any school outside of maybe Kentucky, but for a program that has 6 Final Fours under Izzo (or whatever their stat line is now), they certainly do not get the results you would expect.  Many like to throw them in with the Kentuckys, Kansas, and Dukes, but the fact is that they just don't get the results on the recruiting trail to justify it.  

I've always used one metric to decide when a program is a "blue blood."  You're a blue blood when you're in a top end recruit's top schools just about automatically.  If guys get a Kentucky or Duke offer, it's practically a certainty that they're at least considering them.  MSU has to work like crazy to get there with the top guys.  Not saying other programs don't have to work hard, but if MSU was really on the level nationally that some perceive them to be, they should be getting much better results.  

This is all opinion, but the only great recruit they've gotten in the last 3 classes has been Gary Harris.  Everybody in Harris' class has been underwhelming, the 2013 class was an admitted backup plan from Izzo, and 2014 was built on backup options as well.  If you're such a great program, you shouldn't be settling for backup plans for two recruiting cycles in a row.  Just compare them to Michigan who in the same 3 classes has pulled in games including GR3, McGary, Stauskas, Irvin, Walton, and Chatman.  Believable or not, Michigan has kicked their butts on the recruiting trail for the last few years.

93Grad

January 25th, 2014 at 10:26 PM ^

As much as I hate Izzo he's made 6 final fours and won and NC.  And while I love JB and would not trade him for any other coach in the country, he has a long way to go to pass Izzo.

umchicago

January 25th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^

yes.  not for a career but i think UM has a better program right now.  and who knows, some of our nba guys may decide to stick around and make another run at the title next year; if not this year. man, i hope so.  payne and appling both stayed and are seniors.  big drop off for sparty next year, especially if harris leaves.  get well mitch.

snarling wolverine

January 25th, 2014 at 11:38 PM ^

To be fair, we have to note that Izzo achieved much of his success when he had only token in-state competition.  Izzo went 0-4 against Steve Fisher, but then we hired Ellerbe and everything fell apart.  He had this talent-rich state pretty much all to himself for 10-12 years while we were struggling to make the NIT.  

Beilein hasn't had any advantage like that.  He came here when Izzo was at the height of his powers, and Izzo continued to dominate in Beilein's first couple of years.  Beilein was able to  build an elite program even with Izzo still there and doing well in East Lansing.  That's a heck of an accomplishment.

ijohnb

January 25th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^

Izzo has that ring man. It all really comes down to titles. I prefer JB, but he is not in that club as of right now. Needs that NC.

ijohnb

January 25th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^

Izzo has that ring man. It all really comes down to titles. I prefer JB, but he is not in that club as of right now. Needs that NC.

Maize and Blue…

January 25th, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^

State would have never became what it is today.  Michigan use to get just about whoever they wanted out of the state unless they were Lansing kids.  That all changed after the Ed Martin incident.  Slowly but surely Michigan is getting back to where they belong despite having to contend with a much stronger MSU than in the past.

taistreetsmyhero

January 25th, 2014 at 10:34 PM ^

who has the better career resume? izzo and it's not even close.

who would i rather have as a coach right now? beilein, but hard to take off the homer goggles. but i still think it's beilein, objectively. he's done more with less, built us up from nothing while the big ten is at the height of it's competitiveness.

alum96

January 25th, 2014 at 10:34 PM ^

Both are very good coaches.  Next year will be a big test for Izzo.  He focused so much on Parker that the rest of that class suffered.  He loses Appling, Harris and Payne which will be very much like UM losing Burke, THJ, and McGary.  You see what a job Beilen has done without those 3 - lets see what Izzo does without those 3.  They dont look very talented next year - Valentine, Costello and Dawson will be their big 3.  (I think Dawson - dont quote me, think he is a jr).

But in terms of fun to play for, look at their offensive systems - if you want to play football on the hardcourt go to MSU, if you want to play a fun offense go to UM.

We are lucky to have our coach.  And his staff.

Swazi

January 26th, 2014 at 12:25 AM ^

We may have lost those guys, but we also brough in Zak Irvin, who was rated a 5*, and Derrick Walton was rated a 4*.  They'll be back next year, and I'd wager McGary will come back to improve his draft stock since he hasn't played hardly this year.  GR3 is probably NBA bound though.  And hopefully Nik stays.

 

Michigan State's 2013 class, to put it bluntly, sucked.  They don't have a whole lot left after Harris leaves.  Valentine could develop, but man were Spraty fans cursing his name tonight.  Costello hasn't exactly lit the world on fire as a starter, either.  They're losing Payne, Appling, probbably Harris, maybe Dawson.  michigan State could potentially be gutted of their best talent after this year.