Should Beilein be a coach of the year candidate?

Beilein should definitely be in the conversation.

I guess it just depends on what you think Michigan's expectations were.  I think if we're still #1 after our next 4-5 games, you'd want Beilein in the discussion. 

He doesn't have a "big" personality.  He doesn't wear flashy suits.  He doesn't butter up Dick Vitale.  He doesn't name-drop NBA players.  He doesn't describe himself as less a basketball coach and more a "leader of men." ...He just doesn't make for good TV. 

And the above is how one judges a college coach, right?  That's at least what ESPN has taught me. 

Like the article mentions there is going to be so many candidates, it's hard to tell at this point who will win it.  Beilein has a leg up for sure.

I don't want to take anything away from Johnny Basketball but literally none of this, the number one ranking, the elite recruits coming in, the brighter outlook for the future, none of it would be possible without Dave Brandon.  His oversight of the PDC and Crisler renovation changed the course of Michigan basketball forever.  I think he's just as likely to win some awards in the near future.

Maybe this is something that ought to be decided at, like, the end of the year. 

If we win the Big Ten - I think Beilein is a unanimous choice.

yes

If Michigan wins the regular season big ten and NC, then I do not see how anyone could get it over him.

If Michigan wins the regular season big ten and is upset in the tourney, then I still think there is a strong argument considering the strength of the B1G and the number of underclassmen seeing quality playing time on this team.

He's a great coach who has produced quality teams at every stop.

most definitely

HALOL!!!

Continue to win, yes, not sure we can determine this is January. Many are getting way ahead with this team....

Beilein is great every year.  The fact that he has the freshmen playing the way they are is an indicator of how good a coach he is (and speaks well for the kids too).  But as has been mentioned, he doesn't have a huge media personality and the team was expected to be good.  I think if he couldn't win the award last year after winning the Big Ten with that roster, maybe he never will.  The nice thing is that he will never care.

I find coach of the year awards so stupid. Look at the rationale here in preferring coaches whose teams outperformed preseason expectations. Well, expectations come largely from how well a coach has recruited and developed his players, which, the last I checked, are kind of important parts of that job. Why punish coaches who do those things well and reward coaches who don't?

I think its Bruce Webber. He has done a excellent job at K-State. Maybe even Jay Wright at Villanova if he continues this recent tear.

Definitely.  Yes, we were highly ranked in the preseason, but quite a few people were skeptical and thought we might be overrated.  There was a lot of talk about us not being able to overcome the loss of leadership from last year.  I don't think anyone expected us to be quite this good.

(BTW, it's Beilein, not Beilien.)

I'd like JB to get the Program Of The Year Award.  As stated, COY seems to be taking something irrelevant and making it relevant in one season.  JB has taken Michigan from despair to ecstasy during his tenure.

At this point, yes.

Long answer: hell yes

I think that when you contrast the case Beilein would have to win Coach Of The Year with some of the other coaches who have one in the past five or six years, it puts Beilein's achievement with this program - culminating in this phenomenal run - in an even more interesting light.

Some of the recent past winners of AP Coach Of The Year (as opposed to the Naismith award) are interesting choices - Keno Davis won for his only season as head coach at Drake, taking them from a middling team to 28-5 and the NCAA Tournament in one season. Frank Haith - last year's AP winner - took over an already decent Missouri team and has kept them at level basically. Mike Brey of Notre Dame won in a year when he got Notre Dame a couple rounds deeper into the Tournament than the previous year. It hasn't necessarily been taking someone from barely something to relevant, if you will, especially lately.

John Beilein, for the continous improvement of the Wolverines under his watch in addition to this breakout year that not many seemed to think was coming back in the fall, really should at least be considered this year, I think.

Of course he should be, but plenty of things don't go how they 'ought' to.

His biggest obstacles are:

• This team isn't overperforming (seems to be a huge criteria for COY honors)
• Not a particularly media-type; doesn't have the 'Big' personality
• The basketball team doesn't have star-power**

Not that these are legitimate criticisms, nor are they reasons that should hinder his ability to receive the award.  I think if we win the Big Ten/Big Ten Tournament and couple that with a deep run into the tournament (think Elite 8 or better) then he will truly be in contention.

And while it would be nice, he doesn't need the hardware to know that he's a great coach, one only needs to look at his time at Michigan to see that.

*Well, yes, actually, it does.  We all know Burke is a contender (leader?) for POY honors, so he's there, and THJ is pretty noticable, but plenty of the contribution to the team is coming from people who aren't known outside the Michigan fanbase -- Stauskas, Morgan, GRIII, etc. [yet, hopefully they will be].  So, it's not star-power in the traditional sense.  Clear as mud, I know.

But I think it would go to a coach that has an exceptional season with a lesser known school, or one that has been in the shitter. Jim Larranga would be a prime candidate. Signature slaughtering of Duke, sole possession of first place in the ACC,and looks to be headed to the tourney in five years.

What he did with that roster last year was top notch. For everyone that would credit the emergence of Trey, it was John Who put them in position to win.

So this year they need to make amends.

Yes. Yes he should.

I think Beilein definitely exceeded expectations with the caveat that expectations were too high.  I am retroactively lowering expectations, so now they are exceeded.

He is playing five freshmen on a regular basis.  This is a reason why expecations too high to begin with.

All of the players know their role and play it.  This is exceptional considering he has superstars and freshmen.  Everyone is playing team basketball and that takes great coaching.

All of the players are showing observable improvement in the season.  Freshmen are understanding their place better and letting the game come to them.  I don't know if a player has had consecutive bad games all year.  In season development at Beilein's level is probably pretty tricky for a coach.  

Beilein will be in the discussion as long as we keep performing at this level, but with the talent on this roster he will get overlooked by coaches doing a lot with less. I think at this point (a long way to go, obviously) it looks like Altman or Shyatt's to lose. 

...the job Coach B has done building up to this year and keeping this team focussed game to game....at this point he has to be in the conversation.

and appalled if Coach B. is not a candidate, and disappointed if he doesn't win it. What he has done with the program through this week is simply outstanding and deserves that sort of recognition. Who would have guessed one loss at this stage in the season? 

Candidate?  DEFINITELY.

means it's a slow sports day. Of course JB is on track right now, BUT so much will happen in two months. Heck 4 weeks ago Tubby Smith was talked about as a COY candidate. How'd that work out?