The Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein ended their partnership on Wednesday — a professional relationship that was ill-fated from the start. (UPDATE: The Cavs said Beilein will be reassigned within the organization after resigning as head coach.)
Cleveland has a 14-40 record under Beilein in his first foray into the NBA. If there’s a silver lining — and there is — then it’s that Beilein, who turned 67 on Feb. 5, is the prize of the college basketball coaching carousel.
He led four different schools — Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan — to the NCAA Tournament, and he took the Wolverines to a pair of national championship game appearances in 2013 and 2018. He is also the consummate good-guy coach, and that will attract the attention of several college basketball programs who might be seeking something more out of their program.
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Here is a look at some of those schools and their potential fit with Beilein:
Texas
Texas is going to get the most attention, and it fits. Shaka Smart is 85-77 with two tournament appearances through five seasons, and Beilein would have more resources to work with than he did at West Virginia and Michigan. Lon Kruger, also 67, has had steady success with rival Oklahoma in the form of six tournament appearances and a 2016 Final Four appearance. Beilein’s coaching style suits the Big 12 well, too: He had over-the-top success at Michigan, and he could do the same at another football-first-school.
Indiana
The better move for Indiana is to stick it out with Archie Miller, who should be able to push the Hoosiers into the NCAA Tournament this year (it will be close). Indiana hasn't advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2002, and the Hoosiers have an outgoing athletic director in Fred Glass at the end of the school year. Beilein also would be the fifth different hire for the Hoosiers since Bob Knight left. This is a tempting move, but the timing doesn't seem right. Holding on to Miller is the better play.
Boston College
The Eagles are looking at a 11th straight season without a tournament appearance, and that would be bad news for sixth-year coach Jim Christian. It would be a chance for Beilein — who coached in the Big East and Big Ten — to bring that style to the ACC. Boston College used to be a tournament regular under Al Skinner, so it’s not like success is impossible in Chestnut Hill. The only question is whether the rebuild would take too long.
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have almost an identical situation as Boston College. Danny Manning hasn’t managed better than a First Four berth in six seasons, and the Demon Deacons haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2004. Ironically, it was a Beilein-led West Virginia team that beat Chris Paul-led Wake Forest in a 111-105 second-round thriller in 2005. Beilein’s demeanor meshes with the program, which has been absent from the national stage for far too long. Think Beilein is too old to make it work in the Carolinas? Look at what Mack Brown is doing in football. This is the best fit among the ACC schools.
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Georgia Tech
Yet another ACC school dealing with a drought, Georgia Tech has not made the NCAA tournament since 2010, and Josh Pastner hasn't produced more than 21 wins in a single season. Wake Forest and Boston College might be quicker to move on, but Georgia Tech has a decent recruiting base. Beilein also would be competing on that circuit with Georgia coach Tom Crean. Georgia Tech would have to be aggressive in their pursuit of Beilein, given the other options available.
Minnesota
Minnesota has made two tournament appearances under Richard Pitino, but it has been a perpetual bubble team that hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. This would put Beilein back in the Big Ten, but there isn’t quite the same recruiting base that he had at Michigan. Northwestern is another Big Ten school to keep an eye on, but Beilein might cost too much.
Any volatile school
Any school that gets a notice of allegations from the NCAA, or a coach who gets suspended, is worth keeping an eye on. Kansas, Arizona and LSU, among others, are all worth watching simply because of the volatility. If there's a change at any of those schools, it would be best to bring in the cleanest coach possible. Beilein has epitomized that throughout his coaching career. Fit would be a consideration, of course, but no coach is more deserving of another shot at a return to college basketball.
