More on the mysterious Beilein ring

Submitted by jmblue on

The latest installment of Big Ten Basketball: The Journey showed a brief closeup on Beilein writing on a white board in the locker room at the BTT, with the ring prominently visible on his hand.  I don't have a screencap but I can confirm that the ring, in fact, has an M on it, so it's not from his time at WVU.  It's still uncertain what the ring is for.  If it's indeed commemorating something he's done here, the obvious candidate is making the tournament two years ago, but giving out rings to make the field doesn't seem like something we'd do.  My guess: we gave him the ring in honor of his 500th victory at a four-year school, which he achieved in 2009 (he has 543 wins now).  But further investigation is necessary. 

MGoSoftball

March 19th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^

for this post.  This ring has me piqued my interest.  If it was from the M AD, I would think that there would be a press release.  I did some preliminary lurking but I cannot find anything.

Does anyone know if he graduated and this is his "class" ring?

 

Zone Read Left

March 19th, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^

I remember Beilein wore a big ring ago 2 years ago when we were on the bubble as well. I'm pretty sure he said he starts wearing it whenever his team is on the bubble to show to the players and serve as motivation.

JustGoBlue

March 19th, 2011 at 1:02 PM ^

get "M" rings when they graduate?   I know I read something about Red one time that said he refused to give players some "M" ring, until they had graduated (whether still in his program or not.  Ie.  When JMFJ gets his degree, he'll get his ring, even though he left early).  I guess for hockey, that could just be one of various championship rings that they win, but if is just a pure graduation thing, Beilein's ring could be the coaching equivalent of that, "thanks for coming to coach at our school" and just every coach has it, we just don't notice it on other coaches( non-revenue sports, especially), other coaches wear it less or those coaches have conference/national titles and so have an obvious reason for their ring and Beilein wears his just because he's proud to be the coach of Michigan.

And it's obvious Beilein has a lot of pride in Michigan.  During the Selection Show at Crisler, I was struck with how much he's trying to, beyond just making the team a lot better, improve the program as a whole.  From the free tickets to a lot of games a couple years ago, his (and his assistants HALOL) twitters to his website (which is actually pretty cool).  I believe he was also the driving force behind getting/keeping the Maize Rage bleacher seats and even trying to expand those.  Every coach does this and Beilein is incredibly classy, but it seems to me he compliments the fans, band, dance team, cheerleaders, whatever, all the time, warmly, sincerely and specifically, even when they perhaps don't deserve it.  I believe he also goes to the Maize Rage meetings occasionally and I know he's talked at a couple things that don't have much to do with basketball, just as a favor.  It's really impressive to me and a sign of how much he cares about the program.  It reminds me of the stories Red tells about how when he first came here, Yost was nearly empty, when they played State, Yost was very partisanly pro-State and Red, himself, walking around the diag couldn't give away tickets to students.  Sound familiar?  And, last night nonwithstanding, we all know how that turned out.  If Beilein ends up having half the success Red has had, he will have been successful indeed.

EDIT:  Well, there goes my theory (wayyy too slow...), but my second paragraph stands.

AlwaysBlue

March 19th, 2011 at 1:18 PM ^

Yes, it was a very good second paragraph.  I love what Beilein is doing with the program and that he goes about it in a very deliberate but low-key manner.  He strikes me as a guy who has labored in relative obscurity and understands that he has the chance of a lifetime at Michigan. 

champswest

March 19th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^

the game and how he treats his players.  Quite a contrast to some other coaches who are the face of their program and feel the need to pontificate endlessly about the team's state of affairs, act like a drama queen on the sidelines, dress up in elaborate costumes for midnight madness and carry-out an every 3-5 year highly public flirtation with the NBA.  I know some fans appreciate that in a coach.  Me, not so much.

Bando Calrissian

March 19th, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^

Yes, seniors in all sports traditionally get M Club rings.  Coaches (like Red) may have their own rules for them.  Football players get them at the Football Bust.  For non-revenue sports, a lot of the rings are paid for by alumni clubs.  The club I'm a part of buys the rings for one of the women's sports every year.

mjw

March 19th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^

guess i'll take the word of andrew beilein, but i didn't know there were rings for appearing in the tourney.  i would have guessed it was from his 2007 NIT championship.  but are rings generally given out for winning the NIT?