CHICAGO — College basketball has changed dramatically since John Beilein started at Erie Community College many years ago, and many would argue it’s for the worse. Former Michigan head coach John Beilein admitted Thursday there were trends he didn’t like.
He was also quick to point out his disillusionment with the college game wasn’t why he left.
“I think, like everything, the college game is going through a tough trend with a lot of things,” Beilein said. “We’ll talk about that later on. Bu the college game has really been good to John Beilein and his family, and all the players and universities we’ve been at.
“That’s not the reason I’m going. The reason is this opportunity in Cleveland is tremendous.”
It was never a dream to coach in the NBA, Beilein said, though it was always an option. When the opportunity came that he could do ever more “pure coaching,” he said he thought long and hard about it and made what he felt was the right decision.
He’ll spend his time now adapting to the NBA game, watching film over the summer and preparing for his first season with the Cavs.
“Many people tell me it’s what we’ve always run but with pro players, read and react type of stuff, not as many set plays as organized ball screens,” Beilein said.
The job has given him a shot of energy, he added. Interviewing players has been a highlight.
But it was hard to say goodbye to his players and coaches, Beilein admitted. He had separate texts for each one Sunday night and started sending them Monday when the news broke. He plans to see them again and will keep his home in Ann Arbor while renting in Cleveland.
“I just thought about our players, our coaches and recruits. It’s really hard to recruit some of these guys they all ask me how long I’ll coach," said. "I planned on coaching, but it’s a difficult business now. Players come and go; coaches come and go.”
He’s joined the ranks of the latter for probably the last time in his coaching career.
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