What Happens When Belein's Gone?

Submitted by Cali's Goin' Blue on January 7th, 2019 at 3:16 PM

So.... 

I was reading Brian's column today about the Indiana game and Poole and my mind kept coming back to the idea of how much I appreciate Brian's and Ace's basketball coverage and their admiration of John Belein. We all know Brian's ability to chart and explain plays in football is pretty much unmatched as far as I can tell, but what struck me was the deep down understanding of what makes Belein special as a coach(And person) in the article. 

This, I think, is what John Beilein meant last year when he said that Poole was a strange player for him to coach. His career has been built by taking limited athletes and drilling them on the basics until they're the kind of regimented outfit that never finishes outside the top 10 in turnover rate. There's a certain mechanical aspect to what Michigan does. This is completely, obviously fine. But with limited exceptions its the system that makes the players go. These days NBA evaluations of Michigan players come with Beilein-is-too-good-at-systems disclaimers.

I don't need to go into the nitty-gritty here, but also want to hammer home the point that Belein isn't a great coach because he hammers home the basics. He isn't a great coach because he finds under-recruited kids who turn into NBA prospects within a few years(Caris, Nik, Trey, DJ Wilson, GR3, and of course Poole all have left/will leave as players drafted much higher than their recruiting ranking would suggest((I'm sure I'm missing a few))). He is a great coach because of the combination of those things, his system, and his ability to trust his best players to be the best version of themselves.

I remember Burke his freshman year getting pulled out of games for messing up sets on consecutive posessions and me being mad at Belein. I'm sure it happened last year with Poole, and I'm sure it happened with Darius Morris before both of them. Belein is a structured man with a vision and it has made him a special coach. But that hasn't defined his teams. He let's his players define the team. And once they gain his trust, he lets them be the best version of themselves. 

Which brings me to the sad part of this post. What happens when he is gone? It makes me sad to think that we won't have tags referring to Belein finding a 2-star recruit and turning them into MAAR or Stu Douglas or Spike Albrecht. It makes me even sadder(?) that we probably won't have quotes from Brian like the one above. 

There are only so many(read: none) coaches like John Belein. Ones who recruit under-the-radar prospects who blow up. Ones who recruit high character kids with talent and turn them into fire breathing dragons. Ones who run into the MF'ing locker room as a mid 60's y/o dude with a super soaker and all his players get stoked as hell. Ones who run an almost flawless offensive system who also bend that system to fit their personnel and let their players have "an overdose of swag". Belein will always be a "one-and-only" coach and person, and we should be grateful for what we have. 

I meant to throw out a few options at the end of this post and maybe ask whether you guys thought we could find someone like him after he retires here, but the tone of this post changed as I started writing and don't think that that is appropriate. 

I tried keeping this concise and not emotional, but I couldn't. 

GO BLUE!

MGoBoard
Basketball

UMFanatic96

January 7th, 2019 at 3:28 PM ^

Sure I'll entertain your negative nancy question...I would be fine with giving Yaklich a try. Or what the hell? Hire Patrick Beilein and keep the legacy going

Joined: 06/21/2016

MGoPoints: 6348

Reggie Dunlop

January 7th, 2019 at 3:29 PM ^

Great post. While we're here, have you considered what you'll do when your mom dies? Like, what happens then? You have to arrange her funeral, clean out her house, etc. Let's dwell on that for a while.

Joined: 10/24/2018

MGoPoints: 4389

A Lot of Milk

January 7th, 2019 at 3:29 PM ^

Just means you have to appreciate the time you have him now because you know one day he'll be gone.

Thankfully the best coaches all have disciples, and I imagine that when Beilein moves on that we'll have a great pool of candidates to select from that learned under Coach B. Yaklich, Lavall Jordan, Haynes, and Saddi Washington are all potential coaches who can carry on the Beilein philosophy 

Joined: 02/17/2013

MGoPoints: 48618

beangoblue

January 7th, 2019 at 3:51 PM ^

There is literally no way to tell what will happen after, except to look back at the day of Michigan Basketball BEFORE we had Beilein and remember how that was. Wasn't a lot of fun.

Summary: lets just enjoy Beilein while we can. These are good times.

Joined: 12/24/2009

MGoPoints: 3567

njvictor

January 7th, 2019 at 4:00 PM ^

Realistically, I'd like to see Yak or Lavall Jordan takeover. And eventually, I'd love to see Patrick Beilein come to Michigan. That would make my heart melt

Joined: 07/20/2017

MGoPoints: 65202

BlockM

January 7th, 2019 at 4:01 PM ^

Why worry about this? What possible value could fixating on this level of hypothetical have in your life? Enjoy it while he's here, and when he's not anymore, enjoy whoever comes next.

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 40727

East Quad

January 7th, 2019 at 4:13 PM ^

A different coach will be hired.  Might be good, might be not so much.  Sooner or later we'll hire a good one and he might stick for a while.  Life goes on.

Joined: 11/12/2017

MGoPoints: 52719

MichiganStan

January 7th, 2019 at 5:01 PM ^

We throw a shit ton of money at Luke Yaklich and hire Patrick Beilein as assistant coach

Between the two of them they have to know how to run a Beilein-esque program, right?

Joined: 01/03/2017

MGoPoints: 7991

Wolverine0007

January 7th, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^

Dude...stop focusing on the future and just sit back and appreciate what we have now. 

Yes, Coach B will leave at some point. But I bet it won't happen for a while.

 

 

Joined: 12/31/2016

MGoPoints: 517

Squeezebox

January 7th, 2019 at 5:42 PM ^

For all the respect that Beilein deserves, it's his defensive hires that have taken the UM BB team to this new level.   Luke Yaklich & Saddi Washington, with Billy Donlon the year before, have completely changed the way UM plays BB in the last 2 years. 

Before it was a 3 or nothing offense that was either hit or miss and one bad shooting day would mean elimination from the tournament.  Last year's March Madness was won by defense in most of the games.  Beilein's offensive strategy has also evolved, away from the 3 ball to using the big men and penetration to open up the rest.  This can only be a plus for future recruiting.

It's good to see that Beilein can adapt with the times and is always looking for new wrinkles to add to his system, unlike another major sport at UM.

Would love to see Yaklich get the nod when Beilein hangs it up.

 

 

Joined: 04/25/2014

MGoPoints: 1566

True Blue Grit

January 7th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^

Can you just enjoy the golden era of Michigan basketball while we're still in it, and just live in the moment?  Stop this pointless wondering about something in the future none of us can control.  

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 32373

rice4114

January 7th, 2019 at 7:03 PM ^

Anyone find it amazing that CANT MISS talent keeps leaving or program but when was the last "Cant miss" talent that came in our doors? I know we have had lots of talent come to our program, including this year, but why arent McDonalds AAs lining up to play for us?

History? Nope (Fab Five and 2 championships games this decade)

Putting players in the NBA? Nope

Development? Nope

We are doing fine but losing to Syracuse, Indiana, Cal, Xavier for recruits? This is not a knock on Coach B. Im glad he wins without the stars but it is a headscratcher.

Joined: 08/26/2010

MGoPoints: 47367

treetown

January 7th, 2019 at 7:35 PM ^

Fundamentals will always matter - it is just that the appreciation waxes and wanes. Look up Pete Newell and his big man camp - he was teaching guys who are ALREADY in the NBA how to play the post position. 

Beilein may not be able to add much to a LeBron James, Moses Malone or other legitimate straight out of high school great, but for everyone else he can help.

Joined: 11/10/2010

MGoPoints: 6339