After heavy speculation into his rumored departure, Michigan coach John Beilein unequivocally announced his plans to stay with the Wolverines for the foreseeable future.
Rumors recently surfaced of Beilein’s potential move further east in the state of Michigan to undertake the head coaching job for the Detroit Pistons. After firing coach Stan Van Gundy, the Pistons are in desperate need of solid leadership and are surveying all possible options. Somewhere in the mix was Beilein’s name.
Putting all worries to bed in one tweet, Beilein made his intentions known, “I love the University of Michigan and I am excited about coaching our Men’s Basketball Team next season and in the years to come ! Let’s go hang some more banners at ‘THE GREATEST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD ‘ #GoBlue.”
Wolverine faithful were left in limbo after Beilein interviewed with the Pistons last Thursday, but as reported by The Athletic on Wednesday, Beilein is now close to an extension to his current contract with the school.
It’s no wonder the 65-year-old coach drew interest from the next level after he led Michigan to a program-record 33 wins and an appearance in the national title game — his second in five years.
Consistently summoning top-level play from low-level recruits, Beilein has amassed a 249-143 record in 11 seasons with the Wolverines and has led Michigan to two Big Ten titles and eight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Already the ninth-highest paid coach in college basketball, Beilein’s rumored increase in salary could bolster his spot in that sense.
“We are thrilled that John Beilein will be our coach now and into the future.” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel. “We made it a priority to sit down shortly after our tremendous run in the Final Four to discuss and solidify his future at Michigan. Michigan has become home for John and Kathleen the past 11 years and we are excited they plan to stay for years to come.”
Ask any player or fan of the Wolverines, and they will share Warde’s sentiment. Having coached eight NBA draft picks and tremendously raised their pro-ready stock with his complex offensive schemes, Beilein has two elite incoming freshman classes for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
Recently announcing his verbal commitment, highly-touted recruit Jalen Wilson is set to play under Beilein in Crisler Center for the 2019-20 season. Coming in as the 34th-ranked recruit nationally according to 247sports.com, Wilson will be the highest ranked recruit for Beilein since Kam Chatman in 2014 who was the 27th-ranked recruit in his class.
Coming to Ann Arbor in the fall is his second-highest ranked class in his tenure at Michigan. The class is ranked 11th nationally and includes in-state stars such as forward Brandon Johns and guard David DeJulius.
Needless to say, Beilein has a strong foundation on which to expand his legacy with the Wolverines in pursuit of the ultimate goal: a national title.