John Beilein’s legacy at Michigan
In 12 years at Michigan, John Beilein resurrected a broken basketball program and established a legacy of winning by doing everything the right way. His accomplishments at Michigan are incredible. He finished with a 278-150 record and made the NCAA Tournament in nine out of 12 seasons. He reached the National Championship game twice and the Sweet 16 three additional times. In Big Ten play, he won two regular season and two conference tournament championships. He won the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award following the 2013-2014 season.In total, 15 Beilein-coached Michigan players have played in the NBA to date, with at least one more likely to come in Isaiah Livers. Several of them, such as Duncan Robinson and Trey Burke, have become regular starters for solid teams. It is remarkable that only one of them (Glenn Robinson) was a 5-star recruit. It speaks to his talent as a head coach to scout and develop talent.
With the hiring of Juwan Howard, Michigan basketball is now on a trajectory to become a perennial championship contender. The 2021 recruiting class is the best in the country with two 5-stars, something John Beilein never did. Howard’s coaching approach is different from that of Beilein’s, yet he is in as great of a position as he is due to Beilein’s incredible success. He grew a program from nothing into one of the nation’s best. But even more than that, John Beilein approached every day, game, and interaction with a focus on growth and improvement. He did everything the right way, represented Michigan in the best way, and will go down as one of the best Michigan Men in history as a result.
Mary Sue Coleman needs to dump Howard...now...
