Michigan head coach John Beilein has filled the second vacant assistant coaching position on his staff, with the recent hiring of Illinois State’s Luke Yaklich. The news comes just days after it was announced Beilein had also hired Redbirds’ assistant DeAndre Haynes.
Yaklich had been at Illinois State since 2013, and was a big reason the Redbirds finished with the No. 19 defense in the country last year, according to KenPom. It is expected that Yaklich will fill the role of departed defensive specialist Billy Donlon, who left for Northwestern.
In his Illinois State bio, it states that Yaklich was in charge of academics, recruiting and skills development, and has invaluable Illinois high school and AAU ties.
In fact, in 2010 Yaklich was named the District 9 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Although Beilein’s top two assistant positions have now been filled, the Wolverines are still looking for a replacement for director of basketball operations Waleed Samaha, who left to pursue a career in education.
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