3 College Basketball Teams That Should Coax John Beilein Out of Potential Retirement
By Scott Rogust
The hiring of former Michigan Wolverince college basketball coach John Beilein was always considered a calculated risk for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And that turned out to be the case, as both Beilein and the Cavs agreed to part ways midway through his first season.
Beilein's transition to the NBA was a difficult one, but you can't deny he had success in the NCAA ranks. With retirement potentially a consideration for Beilein, here are three college teams that should hire him.
3. Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will not make it to March Madness this year due to a ban imposed by the NCAA for receiving impermissible benefits. Even so, head coach Josh Pastner has been unimpressive in his four-year tenure, where he's failed to lead the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA Tournament. Given that Georgia Tech last appeared in the tourney in 2010, the university will likely look to bring in a big-time coach. Beilein fits the bill.
2. Texas
The Texas Longhorns appeared to have hired their guy in Shaka Smart back in 2015, who made a name for himself for bringing the Virginia Commonwealth Rams to the Final Four in 2011. But, that hire has now turned sour. He's led the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament just twice in his five-year tenure. Now with Texas 14-11 on the year, Smart appears to be on his way out. Who better than to bring the Longhorns back to prominence than Beilein? Not to mention, his former assistant Luke Yaklich is currently at Austin, which could make it the job that much more enticing for Beilein.
1. Indiana
Once the reports of Beilein's exit from Cleveland surfaced, no fan base was more excited than that of the Indiana Hoosiers. Even though current head coach Archie Miller has a 51-40 record, the Hoosiers are no guarantee to make the Tourney this season. That would be a third consecutive season without a March Madness berth. With Indiana always being a focal point of the Big Dance, the university might move on from Miller in favor of Beilein, who's shown the propensity to bring his team to contention.