John Beilein
john beilein is a genius seriously
john beilein does in fact know what he's doing

CBSSports Names John Beilein National Coach of the Year Comment Count

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Beilein at yesterday's Final Four sendoff. [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

In what is hopefully the first of many such honors, CBSSports has bestowed John Beilein with their national coach of the year award:

Michigan's last loss was Feb. 6, two days after the Super Bowl. The Wolverines have won 13 in a row, and Beilein is going to his first Final Four since his team lost to Louisville in the 2013 title game. And they're doing it on defense -- despite Beilein's longstanding reputation as an offensive guru, this team is building its reputation on one of the nation's best defenses. That's the reason why the 65-year-old Beilein, one of the most respected coaches in the game, is CBSSports.com's Coach of the Year.

There's one more thing that makes it special that Beilein is our national coach of the year. This season of college basketball has been shadowed by the FBI scandal that broke in September. Yet here is Beilein at the end of the season, still winning despite his reputation -- among peers -- as the cleanest high-major coach in the country. To be sure, Beilein won this award because his team vastly exceeded its expectations in making a Final Four run. But it's pretty sweet, during a dark college basketball season like this one, to be able to award a coach who is respected for things other than winning. -- Reid Forgrave

Same, Reid Forgrave. Same.

Beilein, quite notably, not only accomplished this without anyone on the first- or second-team All-American list, he did it while facing two such players: OSU's Keita Bates-Diop and (grins) MSU's Miles Bridges.

Comments

yoyo

March 29th, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^

Beilein is the best coach in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country. We are very lucky to have him and glad the athletic directors stuck with him despite some crazy opinions we've seen here and elsewhere.

Joined: 02/11/2011

MGoPoints: 8191

Mr Miggle

March 29th, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^

Lately the talk has shifted to his retirement. Coach is 65 and instead of slowing down, he is adapting, getting better and seemingly having more fun with his players. I think his retirement is further away than many have been speculating. One more thing to be grateful for.

Joined: 10/07/2010

MGoPoints: 47530

GarMoe

March 29th, 2018 at 5:09 PM ^

but do athletic directors base hiring and firing decisions of UM coaches via opinions expressed on MGoBlog? Sorry, new here and have been a lurker on occasion but not regularly. Wasn’t aware of the influence this place has,

Joined: 03/29/2018

MGoPoints: 502

ScruffyTheJanitor

March 29th, 2018 at 12:07 PM ^

They got one... right?

Wait, are they sure they don't want to name Coach K? Some tired arguement about how Jim Boeheim is the real coach of the year?  That wasn't some set up to actually naming Izzo as Lord Emperor of March Basketball?

Man, do these guyes even clickbait?

Joined: 02/03/2011

MGoPoints: 12197

GarMoe

March 29th, 2018 at 5:14 PM ^

My guess is that he’s earned himself several - if ever again - tough seasons with wide latitude. It’s one thing to hit the final 4 with the 2013 roster but what he’s done with the current crop is nothing short of genius. Yeah I know we’re all only as good as our next letdown but speaking for myself, he’s proven himself enough.

Joined: 03/29/2018

MGoPoints: 502

GoBlue in IA

March 29th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^

Coach B is the real deal, so glad we have him.  He is an excellent basketball coach, and an even better man.

My youngest brother died of ALS (Lou Gehig's disease) in 2013, but he had the pleasure to meet and talk with Coach B twice before he passed.  Coach talked to my brother before and after the Iowa game (at Carver-Hawkeye) in 2010, and again via Skype two weeks before his battle with ALS ended.  The time Coach takes with "everyday" people is simply incredible to me, and speaks volumes of the man he is.

Coach will always have a special place in my familys heart, regardless of how his teams perform.  Makes cheering for him all the better when the team is on a special run like this year.

Go Blue.

 

Joined: 10/12/2016

MGoPoints: 344

M-jed

March 29th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^

I saw him at a football game some time ago and he took a few minutes to chat, which was awesome. I’ve felt bad since then because I said “hey John!” rather than “coach” but he didn’t even hate on me like Bob Knight choking out a kid for not calling him coach. Anyway, cool story and I feel better now that I have it off my chest.

Joined: 10/09/2010

MGoPoints: 3073

The Man Down T…

March 29th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^

I'm not even going to use the "dusty room" excuse if that man climbs the ladder to cut the net on Monday.  I'm going to just let the waterworks of happiness flow...  For him and that group of misfit toys he cobbled together..

Joined: 12/04/2008

MGoPoints: 20133

M-Dog

March 29th, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^

But it's pretty sweet, during a dark college basketball season like this one, to be able to award a coach who is respected for things other than winning

Love it.  That's what we have been saying all year.

Kicks ass, yet pure as a nun.

 

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256955

M-Dog

March 30th, 2018 at 12:06 AM ^

True dat.

I posted this just a couple of days ago:

I was meh on the Beilein hire originally because I did not think it was necessary to bring in a "system" guy to Michigan when there was so much basketball talent in the southeast Michigan area.

USC, Alabama, et al, don't need to run the Navy triple option in football, I thought.  They just keep it basic and put extreme athletes on the field and let them do the rest.

This was the Michigan basketball formula for years before Beilein, and it worked pretty well.  Bring in athletes and let them go at it unencumbered.

My specific problem with Beilein's three-heavy system was that I thought it was not built to ever be able to win a National Championship.  As we have seen, it is extremely hard to keep hitting your threes over the course of 6 games distirbuted among 3 venues against teams of very different playing styles.

Like it or not, an MSU style of play was more relaible over the course of 6 games on the road.

All of that is still true to a point, but damn, somehow Beilein managed to mix in a lock down defense to go with his original system.  I'm still not sure how he did it and if it will ultimately survive the absence of Simpson.

But for now, it has covered up the structural flaws of Beilein's system in a Tournament setting.  It's bailed Michigan out of Iowa in the BTT, and Montana andHouston and FSU in the NCAAs.

No previous Beilein team would still be alive.

< 1.00 points per possession is no longer automatic death for a Beilein team.  And < 1.00 points per possession is a fact of life in the NCAA Tournament over 6 games.  It's going to bite you in the ass on at least one of them.  Or, um, three of them.

To be still around to talk about it after happening 3 times is the most amazing thing I've ever seen from a Beilein team.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256955

socalwolverine1

March 29th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^

Coach Beilein gets well deserved recognition (finally!) for the great job he continues to do with the basketball program. But his work in the community is also very significant and much appreciated by the many families and organizations he has touched. My younger brother was severely brain damaged at birth from an RH factor blood incompatibility with my mom, and he currently lives out his adult life at St. Louis Center, a few miles west of Chelsea on old US-12. John Beilein has been a huge help with fundraising for St. Louis Center on several occasions. I love that man!

Joined: 10/08/2012

MGoPoints: 1235

Blue in PA

March 29th, 2018 at 1:04 PM ^

Congrats to Coach B, there isn't anyone more deserving.

Early in the season he has his detractors,  but his teams are always a work in progress, getting better all season....   

Long live Coach B and his tenure in A2.

 

GO BLUE

Joined: 08/26/2014

MGoPoints: 5140

LabattsBleu

March 29th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^

Congrats to Coach Beilein... well deserved honor

his staff and players also deserve thanks as well from the Michigan faithful... hopefully they will be rewarded for their hard work this weekend.

win or lose, its been an incredible season

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 16413