Congratulations Coach Beilein on win #650!

Submitted by M-Wolverine on
If you really think about it, if 20+ win seasons become the expected norm he's going to be racking up wins at a pretty good pace and will be moving into the rarified air of the 700-800 win club before he's done here. Currently only 16 guys have won 800 games. Only 7 if you take out all those who never coached at a major BCS style program. Some other guys are coaching still and will get there, and the guys at the top will continue to build on their lead, but impressive in any regard.

M-Wolverine

December 5th, 2012 at 9:14 AM ^

Remember Beilein has done some stuff that is so out of character for an established coach his age.  He's basically modified his offense to his talent while still keeping his disciplines from a system coach (we like the 3; we aren't dependent on the 3).  He was a zone coach who basically coaches man to man with zone as a change up. He's not recruiting only "system guys"; he may have landed his first truly great 3 point shooter after all these years. (We shot them a lot...we haven't hit a very good percentage). And mixed his system type guys in with true athletes.  

And biggest of all he reassessed and did a complete overhaul of his staff. Not as rare in basketball as in football, but still not something you'd expect a guy who has succeeded everywhere he's been to do at his last job.  And it certainly made a BIG change in recruiting, as well as X and O's things we probably can't notice as well. If he was still stubbornly doing the things that he did at Richmond he might not still be coach here.

This isn't to say what he was doing before was so bad. It's more a credit to him that he can spot weaknesses, and change to his times and environment. That more than anything (brilliant basketball mind; excellent recruiting eye) is behind his success. And it's not a lot of even great coaches have.

GOLBOGM

December 5th, 2012 at 10:01 AM ^

I get your points about changing his systems- but I would say he is still a "system guy" because he still utilizes the zone a fair amount, and does still rely on 3s quite a bit- but more importantly he recruits guys to play a very specific style of basketball.  Recently that has included high ranking recruits which is why we are a top-5 team- but those recruits still very much fit the mold of what he is looking for.  There's a reason Stauskas picked UM for example.

M-Wolverine

December 5th, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^

Who just rolls the basketball out. He has a system. But rather than a guy who gets players who fit his system, he's made his system fit the players he's gotten. Is he going after the same guys as Kentucky? No, and he shouldn't. But a guy like a McGary is the outside shooting threat in the middle that you'd expect in Beilein's "system", and he came here because he liked it, not because the system fit him better here than Duke or some other place that was recruiting him hard.

EJG

December 5th, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^

Not surprised at all.  

Four years ago I met a player from Coach Beilein's first high school team he coached  who absolutely raved on and on about Coach's knowledge of the game, his ability to develop his players, and his ability to adapt his staff and system to the talent.  He said then the only thing holding him back from being a legendary coach was the right job.  I asked if Michigan was the right job and he said with all the basketball talent in the Midwest and the Michigan name, yes.  I see him every year at Christmas time and he still talks to Coach Beilein several times a year.

WindyCityBlue

December 5th, 2012 at 1:07 PM ^

Was my hint that obvious? :)



While I don't have the rankings in front me, I don't think TW recruited that well in his 3 years, at least not to ND standards. He did get Brady Quinn, though.



I willing to say the TW classes were similar in relative total talent compared to RR classes.



But I agree, I don't think Hoke's going 3-9 next year.



My opinion, is that after 5 years, if Hoke has a losing record against OSU and has no B10 titles, then I think he failed in living up to not only our expectation, but also his own. I don't know if Hoke is going to be able to do this. I admit, I'm doubtful.

Smash Lampjaw

December 5th, 2012 at 4:20 PM ^

I never worried about it until they mentioned last night that this is already the longest he has coached anywhere. Will it be as fun to coach after this group is done?