Michigan hired John Beilein to coach its men’s basketball team, a person close to the Wolverines program told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the school wants Beilein to have the opportunity to inform his Mountaineer players that he’s leaving before Michigan publicly announces the hiring.
West Virginia player Darris Nichols said Beilein planned to meet with his players Tuesday.
Beilein will be introduced at a news conference on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, the person close to the program said.
Media reports linked Beilein with the Wolverines just days after he led the Mountaineers to the National Invitation Tournament championship. It will cost Michigan $2.5 million to buy out Beilein at West Virginia, plus his salary, which could run about $1 million per season in a multiyear contract.
I guess order will be restored to the universe and WVU can focus on football and the rifle team.
Damnit.
Joel
Well, can you blame him? Who wants to live in West Virginia?
ThymeZone
When West Virginia and Puerto Rico become states, things like this will become a thing of the past.
gex
Therefore this person decided to leak it so they hear on the news/Internet before the coach could tell his players.
Smitty
Good luck. He’ll be joining a program that hasn’t updated its facilities, that plays Third-Fiddle to the Football AND Hockey programs, that refuses to invest in other sports including basketball yet will fire their coaches after 5 seasons of not making any playoffs (even though NO scolarships were available).
But what do I care? I’m a Spartan fan…(so all I gots is basketball and hockey). So…Go Blue!!!
pharniel
man the UofM just…oi.
we hateses them….but only because theya re devouring our goddamned city.
Punchy
man, that vowel to consonant ratio is WAY messed up.
Mr. Cole, don’t fret. I’m sure Dub-Vee will find a replacement suitable for coaching inbreds, meth addicts, and guys with halarious names like “Pittsnoggle”.
You probably don’t know/realize this, but your school is infamous for having the worst-behaved fans in all of college sports. When they lose, they start fights, and when they win, they talk more trash than anyone. I’ve heard that from so many people I cannot count, not to mention, I’ve witnessed it firsthand. You would not believe the shit Mountaineers fans will say/do when they win an upset.
John Cole
Our fans are passionate, and sometimes they embarass me, but you should be safe unless you are from Pitt or Miami.
Then, even God can’t save you.
Vladi G
Funny that you’d mention Mountaineers fans and shit in the same sentence.
Doug H.
I wouldn’t be too upset, John. Any guy who ran and took the money to be Tom Izzo, Kelvin Sampson, and Thad Matta’s bitch for the next five years doesn’t qualify as quality coaching material. Even if he does have an NIT trophy.
MJN
I’m not sure I understand this. Michigan already had a coach who could win the NIT.
Paul Wartenberg
You could always hire away Billy Donovan from Kentucky, uh from the Memphis Grizzlies, err the New York Knicks, ahh the Florida G… no wait why would a football school like Gainesville want to keep a two-bit overhyped b-ball coach anyway? Oh, right, ’cause he wins titles. :)
Punchy
Wow, that’s even worse than the shit I’ve heard about. Pun intended.
Chuck Butcher
I wonder how much actual eddykashun you could buy for that kind of money, but then it’s important for the Pros to have a big name training camp.
Jimmmm
And to think that I imagined myself to be the first to arrive here to bash West Virginia…
Red Dawn
Wolverines? Didn’t you guys defeat the Soviets and Cubans in Colorado circa 1984?
AnonE.Mouse
Listening to his press conference,I’m impressed by how bright and articulate he seems-for someone from West Virginia.
Michael Keyes
This is business as usual, who cares?
At least he is getting paid. In 1984 the state of West Virginia held a parade for Mary Lou Retton, “the only West Virginian to win a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics” and the Chevy dealers of WV even gave her a Corvette. The problem with is was that Ed Etzel, the unpaid rifle coach at the university, also won a gold medal for the 50 M Prone Rifle. His car broke down several weeks before the parade and he was caught by a photographer hitching to shool (he was also a grad student at the time) greatly embarrassing everyone, including the school who apparently did not protest the exclusion. (After he was in the papers, he was invited to participate in the parade and the Ford dealers gave him a new Bronco. The NRA told Ed that since he was an amateur he would have to give the car up, to them, so he turned “pro”.)
Successful coaches do this kind of thing all the time. Consider that most coaches don’t even have a job like this and the ones that due usually last three to five years before they are ousted.