Beilein and hotseat...is it fair?

Submitted by UMxWolverines on

I realize this seems to be a trend with John Beilein teams...it's either feast or famine in terms of offense because of the lack of a big man most of the time. I don't remember the defense being this bad overall ever though. 

Something has to give though. I don't know if it is fair to say he's on the hotseat just yet, but defense has to improve next year and recruiting has to improve. 

Izzo had quite the stretch during the 2000s where they were pretty mediocre. I don't think Beilein should be on the hotseat, but improvements must be made. 

MGoBoard
Basketball

Blau

February 6th, 2016 at 3:37 PM ^

Have to be honest here, folks. We're probably somewhere between the 4th-6th best team in the B1G right now, probably where we should be. The blow-outs suck but they happen.

Beilein is a proven commodity and unless this team totally tanks the rest of the conference season, we need to poor some cold water on the hotseat talk.

Joined: 01/23/2014

MGoPoints: 35250

BigBlue02

February 6th, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

Depends. Did that coach lose his two best players for the year when he went .500? And the year before that, did he win the Big 10 coach of the year and win the Big 10 by three games? If so, then you are probably having a knee-jerk reaction from a big loss to a rival.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

trueblueintexas

February 6th, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^

Firing Beilein today at the post game press conference would be a knee jerk reaction to losing to a rival. Thankfully, that only happened to the Steinbrenner led Yankees. But having a sit down with Beilein to discuss the state of his team, his coaching staff, his recruiting, etc is very fair given what has happened so far this season.

Joined: 11/10/2008

MGoPoints: 36643

Cali's Goin' Blue

February 6th, 2016 at 4:36 PM ^

I like this guy^^ There is no reason to fire Belein unless you know you can get a better coach. Warde can sit down with him and talk to him about the problems they both see in recruiting and on-court play and he can decide whether Jim can solve these problems. Sad to say, but Michigan isn't the powerhouse and national figure in basketball that it is in football, so it's going to be hard to bring in an excellent coach with a good track record.

Joined: 02/02/2015

MGoPoints: 1880

MSSchnepp

February 6th, 2016 at 11:18 PM ^

MSU wasn't considered a national powerhouse in football or basketball...until they were, either. Hiring and firing coaches is pretty murky territory, for sure. If you look at Izzo and Dantonio, when they were hired, nobody but nobody predicted they'd have this sort of sustained success, and MSU would reach the heights they have at the national level. I don't think MSU's admin was dead set on becoming an athletic powerhouse and neither were their fans, it just so happened that the coaches they aquired truly were and have built a sustain machine.

Harbaugh has that fire to do likewise. I'm not so sure Coach B has that same sort of drive, particularly evident in his recruiting approach. When he conceeded early on Winston, and by extension Bridges (who MSU then snatched up to secure a dominant class along with Langford) it spoke to that, I think. We don't know all the details there, but from all appearances Coach B went out with a whimper and not a bang.

Coach B might want to be great and be captain of a sustained powerhouse program, but I just don't think he's bringing that same enthusiasm to the recruiting aspect that Harbaugh is known for. That's the difference.

Harbaugh's, Izzo's and Dantonio's dont grow on trees, for sure; but if MSU can go to the Final Four in both football and basketball in the same year, why can't Michigan with all it's resources?

9 years in and the Coach B has a mixed bag in terms of results. With Izzo bringing in a large top rated class,  while Michigan's BB outlook appears less optimistic, this doesn't outwardly seem like a situation that is simply going to heal itself in short order. Coach B needs to be made to change his approach drastically, or a change is likely needed... if Michigan wants to be elite in both sports simultaneously.

It may be a Bo Ryan type of thing were the guy is just professionally exhausted by the rigors of recruiting and is eyeing a more peaceful sunset at his age. I could hardly blame him, he's had a long and successful career. It wouldn't surprise me if he decided to hang it up if Warde had a heart to heart with him.

 

 

Joined: 10/21/2014

MGoPoints: 65

funkywolve

February 6th, 2016 at 11:11 PM ^

Based upon what I've seen in conference play, I don't think UM is anywhere close to the 4th best team.  Iowa, IU and Maryland are the top 3 in the standings.  UM is 1-2 against those 3 teams with 2 of the losses being blow outs.  MSU and Purdue are tied with UM at 4 losses and UM lost by double digits to both MSU and Purdue.  At this point I think UM is battling OSU and Wisky to see who the 6-8 teams are in the conference.

Joined: 10/08/2008

MGoPoints: 20219

BursleyBaitsBus

February 6th, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

An assistant has to go. Maybe Beilein can encourage one of them to take another head coaching gig. 

Joined: 01/20/2016

MGoPoints: 12434

jakerblue

February 6th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

No. He has had one bad season last year because the team was decimated by early entries and injuries. This year hasn't been good but it hasn't been terrible. Losing badly to the top teams but beating all the teams they should and they are still top half of big ten while having two major injuries in spike and Caris.

Joined: 10/09/2015

MGoPoints: 3645

MichiganMan_24_

February 6th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

Too soon but we need to recruit more physical players..The thing is, that is not the Beilein way..I dont know what the future holds but i am seeing signs that UM has to change a little if they want to be more consistent in being title contenders

Joined: 12/31/2008

MGoPoints: 9450

Ty Butterfield

February 6th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

I think it is fair. Michigan has the resources to be a good basketball school. Manuel may need to start kicking the tires and gauging interest for a new basketball coach. I am tired of mediocrity. Beilein had the perfect pieces fall into place and had some great seasons but it is obvious he cannot recruit consistently at a high level.

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: -81685

distant gerbil…

February 6th, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^

We just watched Harbaugh earlier this week scratch and claw to the last minute to sign every top player he could.

The BB team, a team that signed a number of top players four years ago, this year signed a 4 man class, all early signing period, 3 of which are well outside the Top 100. Because of course now as opposed to four years ago, it can't be done. Is that a reasonable conclusion?

I think his conclusion might have more substance, or at the very least a notion they seem to have that you can unearth a Burke or Caris at will instead of going for the top players.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 294

Monocle Smile

February 6th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^

The fact that you think football and basketball recruiting are similar tells me all I need to know.

What "top players" four years ago? Dude, Trey Burke was a three-star. McGary and GRIII were the best recruits Beilein's ever had, and we were very fortunate to have them at the same time. I recommend doing at least some cursory research first.

Joined: 09/17/2009

MGoPoints: 23065

distant gerbil…

February 6th, 2016 at 5:54 PM ^

Well why do you think the two sports are that different, other than recent results? They're both dirty... I can tell you with no research at all that between 1982 and 1987 UM signed 12 Top 50 players, and no they were not all on the take. Maybe I overestimated Stauskas' ranking but the point remains, in 2014 we had 4 Top 50 players on the team, so it can be done.

So when he suggests that maybe an all early signing class where 3 of the 4 are well outside the top 100 (not disparaging, hope they all wind up being great players) might not be solely because we can't get anyone higher, but instead may be a case of choosing not to try, what exactly is wrong with that?

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 294

freejs

February 6th, 2016 at 8:58 PM ^

but reading that article about Curtis Malone, Gary Williams (and Coach K) was eye opening. People who are trying to minimize what a flithy mess it is trying to recruit pretty much any high level talent are absolutely kidding themselves. Curtis Malone is not the exception. That kind of player control by nefarious actors is everywhere. Because it's the only way you get noticed as a middle school - high school player - these guys - *not* high school coaches - have a monopoly on the top talent. 

Joined: 04/07/2010

MGoPoints: 9002

Swayze Howell Sheen

February 6th, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^

I think "blue_shift" actually makes a reasonable point.

Those who disagree: is your standpoint really that EVERY "top" player is getting paid? That there are NO honest folks (players) out there who want to do it the right way? It may be hard to find such players, but I suspect that that it is not impossible.

And unless you are in the business yourself, you probably don't know.

 

Joined: 10/05/2008

MGoPoints: 47089

superstringer

February 6th, 2016 at 3:21 PM ^

JB hasnt been able to recruit capable big bruisers, other than McGary. And in the B1G, you need those guys. MSU, Iowa, Wiscy, Purdue, Md, they all have 'em. This outside-oriented offense has its inherent limitations in this conference, as we are seeing. Having our guard be our top rebounder is a joke. I think Caris' injury gives JB a pass this year, but the inside game on both ends needs substantial improvement at sosme point.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 02/04/2009

MGoPoints: 18166

Louie C

February 6th, 2016 at 4:34 PM ^

His lack of a front court is maddeningly frustrating. If this offense is predicated on shooting, then it would seem that you would need to have a strong front court for the pick and rolls, basket protecting, and for rebounding and inside scoring when the shots aren't falling. I just don't know at this point. There seems to be no willingness to address this glaring weakness.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 1134