Quinn and Nick Podcast on the Beilein to Howard Transition
Their Thursday podcast this week focused on how the Beilein exit went down, and, to a lesser extent, how the Howard coaching search went. Some interesting tidbits (my words) - the higher-ups at Michigan weren't happy with Warde that John didn't have a buyout in his contract; the coaching staff was taken aback by how Beilein left and the way he handled leaving; Smart and Donovan were never serious candidates.
This pod is now weekly must-listen. Quinn especially is super plugged-in to the basketball side of things and it's great that he's willing to share insider info.
Is podcast in the Athletic app ($). No link - no whining.
October 18th, 2019 at 8:55 AM ^
Many here thought not having a buyout was “okay”, and that Warde wasn’t to blame. Interesting information.
October 18th, 2019 at 8:57 AM ^
To be fair, Quinn speculated that John wouldn't have signed a contract with a buyout.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:14 AM ^
This. Beilein had already been burned by his buyout at West Virginia. Plus, Warde had no negotiating leverage. Can you imagine that conversation?
Warde "Beilein, we need you to have a $5mm buyout or else we won't give you the extension."
Beilein "Okay, well I won't sign an extension and I'll leave"
Warde "Okay, I was just kidding"
October 18th, 2019 at 9:23 AM ^
So you're saying that if Warde had insisted on including a buyout in his contract Beilein would have been so upset that he would've left. And....Beilein ended up leaving anyway. Seems like he should've insisted on the buyout.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:31 AM ^
And our coach last year would have been...?
October 18th, 2019 at 11:06 AM ^
We would still have wound up with Juwan.
October 18th, 2019 at 11:44 AM ^
Yes, and he would have won the national title. In fact, Warde should have straight up fired Beilein since we would obviously have been better off without him last year.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^
A buy out clause is a type of insurance and insurance doesn't come for free. Beilein would have had to be compensated for allowing that clause into his contract.
October 18th, 2019 at 10:45 AM ^
Michigan not paying WVU’s buyout is the origin story of Beilein not having a buyout at Michigan.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:00 AM ^
Yeah - I thought Beilein earned the right to make a move if he ever felt it was the right time and something he wanted to do. Who can't be happy with what he brought to the program and his making a move he may have dreamt of if the opportunity presented itself.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:13 AM ^
I agree with you and I don't even have a problem with the lack of a buyout necessarily, but Warde could've included some prior notice language or some clawback provisions if JB left during certain times of the year. That's what left Michigan in a bad spot.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:20 AM ^
While I'll always be forever grateful for what Coach B did for the Michigan Basketball program, we've got this Juwan Howard guy right now who *checks notes* just signed his first recruit last night (a 5*) and seems to be maintaining and perhaps even RAISING the high bar Beilein set for Michigan Basketball.
October 18th, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
Let's maybe hold off with 'seems to be raising the bar Beilein set' until he like plays an exhibition game at least.
October 18th, 2019 at 11:56 AM ^
I mean, look at his username. It checks out.
October 18th, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
Oh yeah?
October 18th, 2019 at 9:14 AM ^
That's because "many here" actually did the bare minimum amount of critical thinking and found that Jim Hackett (and likely his predecessor) never put buyout language in neither Harbaugh nor Beilein's contracts.
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2015/11/john_beilein_contract_extensio.html
This wasn't a Warde Manuel thing. It was a Michigan thing. Good luck strong-arming John Beilein into adding a huge buyout on his extension when his current contract has none.
So yeah. That was "okay".
October 18th, 2019 at 9:29 AM ^
Beilein not having a buyout predates Warde.
Why so many of you want to burn Warde at the stake is a bit of a mystery. His coaching hires have mostly been serviceable to good. He's a bit of a "boring safety" type AD in my mind. You'd notice if he actually majorly screwed up but mostly he's keeping the lights on.
Beilein was going to do what he was going to do. A buyout bring the university some $$ back but it's not like the Cavs couldn't pay it or Beilien wouldn't have gone because of it. Seriously people - the man only has so many years left of coaching. let it go.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:36 AM ^
I should add that Nick/Quinn's consensus was that Warde did the best he could in a mostly crappy situation. They were just relaying that Warde's bosses were surprised to find out that there was no buyout for John when they all had the impression that he was going to leave for any NBA offer after the Pistons flirtation in 2018. They weren't saying it's fair to criticize Warde for that.
October 18th, 2019 at 12:42 PM ^
I agree with NeverPunt's take.
The decisions that Warde has had to make have all been solid. Some of the things that the torch and pitchfork crowd complain about pre-dated Warde's arrival...or were out of his hands.
He can't just magically make the OSU/MSU home games happen in alternating years. If Hackett didn't put a buy-out clause in Beilein's contract, Warde wasn't going to be able to magically get a coach who had a ton of leverage and was near the end of his career to agree to such a clause.
If Warde can continue to make smart choices, guide the department in a strategic manner, keep the coaches happy, support all of the teams, and stay out of the news, he will go down as a very strong if not flashy AD.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:21 AM ^
As my girlfriend put it- “Wade (sic) was too busy taking body shots off Harbaugh in South Africa to pay attention to our legend Basketball coach leaving”
October 18th, 2019 at 9:29 AM ^
She sounds like your perfect woman.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:32 AM ^
You could have fixed the typo for her.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:33 AM ^
Warde needs to get a new drinking buddy.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^
What, you don't want some of this?
October 18th, 2019 at 9:24 AM ^
I'm whining when not winning... it's the Michigan way...down in front!
No one gets a pass.
Higher-ups have nothing on Beilein... or Warde.
Beat PSU!
October 18th, 2019 at 9:27 AM ^
the higher-ups at Michigan weren't happy with Warde that John didn't have a buyout in his contract
Somewhere Maizen is telling the wall "I told all of them that Warde sucks!'
October 18th, 2019 at 9:38 AM ^
There's an echo in the Troll Cave.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^
“Tidbits” is not “your word.” Let me guess, you also invented the question mark?
October 18th, 2019 at 9:39 AM ^
It absolutely IS my word. You keep it out of your filthy mouth.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:50 AM ^
Sorry, "tidbits" has been trademarked by OSU.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:40 AM ^
Hmm, this are interesting observations. Maybe even facts, though Quinn & Nick always seemed to me more serviceable than stellar as writers. And even if accurate, it's not clear — as others have already commented — that this unusual set of circumstances could have been specifically anticipated. The longest contracts can't cover everything.
October 18th, 2019 at 10:56 AM ^
Not sure if you're serious...
Both Quinn and Baumgardner are pretty good writers, much better than the puff piece artists employed by the local papers. They also hit on tough questions and provide excellent breakdowns of what happened. I'm not at all surprised that a shared podcast between them would have great info.
I'm also wondering what the "unusual set of circumstances could have been specifically anticipated" are that you're talking about. Everyone knows that Beilein looked hard at the NBA the previous year. And nobody was surprised he took a job there. The surprise was that he left without notice because nobody saw it coming after his extension. But the fact that it was the NBA was a no-brainer.
October 18th, 2019 at 9:42 AM ^
The UMHoops podcast with Dylan and Quinn is fantastic as well
October 18th, 2019 at 10:24 AM ^
Got the best Coach to transition from Beilein at the end of the day, maybe they should talk about the recruitment of 5* Isaiah Todd instead of re-hashing events from 6 months ago...
October 18th, 2019 at 11:00 AM ^
I am an Athletic subscriber, but I was able to DL this in a podcast app with no login. Shrug?
October 18th, 2019 at 11:16 AM ^
They have a free and subscriber podcast
October 18th, 2019 at 12:18 PM ^
I was pretty down on Warde when we was hired, but he has gotten Pearson for men's hockey, Harbaugh for football, and Howard for men's basketball. All thought to be solid (or potentially solid) hires.
Good job, Warde.
October 18th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
(He didn't hire Harbaugh.)
October 18th, 2019 at 12:58 PM ^
Great podcast. Love Quinn and Nick B. Well worth the subscription for just those two.
October 18th, 2019 at 8:38 PM ^
This was good. Between this and the articles I’ve read in the last few days, I’d say the $36 was worth the annual subscription.
October 19th, 2019 at 1:58 AM ^
You must be an avid reader.