On April 3, 2007, John Beilein became the 16th head coach in the history of the University of Michigan men's basketball program. Having spent all 18 years of his Division I coaching career as a head coach, Beilein has produced success at every stop and is considered to be one of the best tactical basketball minds in the country.
A proven winner throughout his career, Beilein has won 597 career games, placing him in the top 20 in victories among active Division I head coaches. He has compiled 27 winning seasons and put together 15 20-win campaigns. Beilein is the only active coach in the collegiate ranks to record a 20-win season at four different levels -- junior college, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I.
The 2009-10 season marked Beilein's 32nd year as a collegiate coach. During that time frame, he has compiled a career coaching record of 597-371 (.617) with winning records in 27-of-32 years -- 14 of the past 17 -- and has made 11 postseason appearances in 18 seasons as a Division 1 head coach.
During his third season at U-M, Beilein led one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten against an ambitious schedule that featured 14 games against NCAA Tournament foes and 18 against teams that played in the postseason. Close games were a staple of the season, as the young Wolverines suffered nine losses by just seven points or less.
Among the highlights for the 2009-10 squad were a pair of victories over top-15 ranked opponents (Ohio State and Connecticut) as well as U-M's first back-to-back road victories in four seasons. The Maize and Blue also ranked in the top-10 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and turnovers per game (10.2).
DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris each earned All-Big Ten honors during the 2009-10 season. Sims was a second team choice by both the coaches and media while Harris was a third team selection by the coaches and media. The pair was also named to the NABC District 7 Second Team. In addition, Harris was a top-20 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as well as a midseason top-30 finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.
In his second season in Ann Arbor, Beilein guided the Maize and Blue to a 21-14 record and steered the Wolverines back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 seasons, advancing to the second round following a first-round win over Clemson. Michigan's 21 victories during the 2008-09 campaign tied a school record for the largest single-season turnaround in program history.
Beilein's 2008-09 Wolverines achieved that success while playing one of the top schedules in the nation, one which included 19 games against NCAA Tournament teams. Michigan knocked off two top-five ranked teams, fourth-ranked UCLA and fourth-ranked Duke, marking the first time U-M had beaten two top five teams in one season since 1986-87. The Wolverines went on to defeat two other nationally ranked teams with upset wins over No. 16 Purdue and No. 24 Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines achieved numerous milestones during the 2008-09 campaign, including setting school records for three-point field goals made (305), three-point field goals attempted (912) and team free throw percentage (.757). Under Beilein's guidance, Manny Harris earned All-Big Ten first team honors and DeShawn Sims was named to the All-Big Ten second team while four Wolverines -- Manny Harris, C.J. Lee, Laval Lucas-Perry and David Merritt -- earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
Following the 2008-09 season, Beilein represented USA Basketball as a court coach at the team trials for the Under-19 World Championship and World University Games.
The building blocks for U-M's success in Beilein's second season were built during the 2007-08 campaign, Beilein's first at the helm of the Maize and Blue, when a young Wolverine team played one of the toughest schedules in the country. U-M ultimately faced eight selections to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and 11 nationally-ranked opponents.
Beilein established a foundation for his program, starting three freshmen and two sophomores throughout the season and, as the year came to a close, saw his Wolverines improve. Half of the season's 10 total wins were won during the final 10-game stretch, including one in Big Ten Tournament action.
With a young core guiding U-M all season long, Beilein guided newcomer Manny Harris to All-Big Ten second team and All-Freshman team honors. Harris, who started all 32 games, was just the fourth freshman in Michigan history to finish his first season with 500-plus points (516) while also setting the U-M freshman record for free throws made in a season with 156. Complimenting Harris were sophomores DeShawn Sims, who Beilein also coached to All-Big Ten honorable mention honors, and Ekpe Udoh, who earned All-Defensive team honors as the Big Ten shot block leader for the second straight season.
Prior to coming to Ann Arbor, Beilein brought great success to West Virginia University. Under his direction, the Mountaineers earned four consecutive postseason berths, including two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2005. Beilein compiled a 104-60 record during his five years at West Virginia.
In his last season at WVU, Beilein led the Mountaineers to a 27-9 record, including a victory over national semifinalist UCLA, and an NIT Championship triumph over Clemson -- despite losing the majority of his back-to-back Sweet 16 squad. Having only four upperclassmen, two juniors and two seniors, Beilein's squad opened on a 13-1 tear before closing the season with eight victories in the final nine games; the team's only loss came in a double OT loss to Louisville in the Big East Tournament.
During the 2005-06 season, Beilein helped West Virginia reel off wins against No. 3 Villanova, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Pitt, No. 18 UCLA and No. 15 Georgetown to finish with an AP Top 25 ranking. The Mountaineers won two games in the NCAA tournament, marking the first time the school has made consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 since the tournament field expanded in 1975.
Beilein molded his players into winners. Kevin Pittsnogle was named to the John Wooden All-American team, becoming WVU's first men's basketball All-American since 1972. Johannes Herber was honored as the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for men's basketball and Aeropostale Big East Men's Basketball Scholar Athlete, while Mike Gansey was one of the 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Award.
In 2004-05, Beilein led the Mountaineers to wins over eight ranked teams (Texas Tech, Wake Forest, BC, Villanova, Pitt twice, North Carolina State and George Washington). West Virginia finished the 2004-05 postseason ranked No. 12 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. In the Big East Tournament, Beilein led the Mountaineers to the conference finals by winning three games to become just the third Big East team to reach the finals without a bye.
In the NCAA tournament, the Mountaineers earned a No. 7 seed and reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1959. The Mountaineers reeled off wins against No. 10-seed Creighton, No. 2-seed Wake Forest and No. 6-seed Texas Tech. West Virginia just missed reaching the Final Four, falling to No. 4-seed Louisville in overtime.
In Beilein's first two seasons at West Virginia, the Mountaineers took a major step forward. In his second year, the Mountaineers won two games in the NIT after compiling a 17-14 record. During his first season, Beilein led the Mountaineers to 14 wins with just seven players on scholarship.
At Richmond, Beilein compiled a 100-53 (.654) record in his five seasons (1997-2002) with the Spiders, giving him the second highest winning percentage in the school's basketball history. He reached the century plateau faster than any coach in Richmond history. In 2001-02, Richmond finished with a 22-14 record in its first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Spiders reached the finals of the conference championship and won three games in the NIT before falling to Syracuse in the quarterfinals. Richmond was second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.3).
In 2000-01, Beilein led Richmond to a 22-7 mark, captured the regular season crown in the Colonial Athletic Association and advanced to postseason play in the NIT. The Spiders hosted an opening round NIT contest and defeated West Virginia 79-56 before losing in the second round at Dayton. That season, Richmond boasted the 10th best scoring defense in the country, holding its opponents to 60.8 points per contest. The Spiders were fourth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.9).
In his first year at Richmond (1997-98), Beilein orchestrated one of the most memorable campaigns in program history, leading the Spiders to a 23-win season, a CAA title and an NCAA tournament appearance. The Spiders grabbed national headlines that season by edging South Carolina, 62-61, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Beilein followed his first year with a 15-12 overall record in 1998-99. Despite losing 81 percent of the team's scoring and 86 percent of its rebounding from the previous season's NCAA tournament team, Beilein continued to establish Richmond as one of the nation's rising programs.
Prior to arriving at Richmond, Beilein spent five years as the head coach at Canisius (1992-1997). During his tenure with the Golden Griffins, Beilein led the team to three consecutive postseason appearances, including the 1996 NCAA tournament. His exploits in rebuilding the Canisius program earned him Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors as well as New York State Division I Coach of the Year accolades.
Before assuming the coaching responsibilities at Canisius, Beilein turned a once-dismal LeMoyne squad into a Division II contender during his nine seasons (1983-1992). In 1987-88, LeMoyne won a school-record 24 games, was crowned Mideast conference champions and earned a berth in the Division II tournament. Beilein served a one-year stint at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y., from 1982-83, leading the program to a 20-6 record. He accepted his first collegiate head coaching position, in 1978, at Erie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y., posting a 75-43 record in four years. Beilein began his coaching career at Newfane Central High in Newfane, N.Y., for three years before heading to Erie CC.
Beilein played college basketball at Wheeling College (now Wheeling Jesuit University) from 1971-75 and served as team captain during his junior season. He received a bachelor's degree in history in 1975 and earned a master's degree in education from Niagara in 1981. In May of 2005, Beilein served as Wheeling Jesuit's commencement speaker while earning an honorary degree at the school's 47th commencement ceremonies.
A native of Burt, N.Y., he and his wife, Kathleen, have been married for 30 years. They have one daughter, Seana, who married Ryan Hendricks in 2007, and three sons, Patrick, Mark and Andrew.
The John Beilein File
Birthday: February 5, 1953
Hometown: Burt, N.Y.
High School: DeSales Catholic (Lockport, N.Y.)
College: Wheeling Jesuit, 1975 (B.A. History), Niagara, 1981 (M.S. Education)
Family: Married, wife Kathleen; children, Seana, Patrick, Mark, Andrew
Pronunciation: "Bee-Line"
Coaching Career Resume
| Years |
School |
Position |
| 1978-82 |
Erie Community College |
Head Coach |
| 1982-83 |
Nazareth College |
Head Coach |
| 1983-92 |
LeMoyne College |
Head Coach |
| 1992-97 |
Canisius College |
Head Coach |
| 1997-2002 |
University of Richmond |
Head Coach |
| 2002-07 |
West Virginia University |
Head Coach |
| 2007-pres. |
University of Michigan |
Head Coach |
Coaching Career Breakdown
| Year |
School |
W |
L |
W |
L |
Finish |
Conference |
Postseason |
| 1978-79 |
Erie CC |
20 |
15 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1979-80 |
Eric CC |
17 |
8 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1980-81 |
Erie CC |
21 |
8 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1981-82 |
Erie CC |
17 |
12 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1982-83 |
Nazareth |
20 |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1983-84 |
LeMoyne |
20 |
8 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1984-85 |
LeMoyne |
19 |
10 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1985-86 |
LeMoyne |
14 |
15 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1986-87 |
LeMoyne |
20 |
10 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1987-88 |
LeMoyne |
24 |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
NCAA Division II |
| 1988-89 |
LeMoyne |
15 |
12 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1989-90 |
LeMoyne |
17 |
12 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1990-91 |
LeMoyne |
19 |
10 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1991-92 |
LeMoyne |
15 |
11 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1992-93 |
Canisius |
10 |
18 |
5 |
9 |
6th |
MAAC |
- |
| 1993-94 |
Canisius |
22 |
7 |
12 |
2 |
1st |
MAAC |
NIT First Round |
| 1994-95 |
Canisius |
21 |
14 |
10 |
4 |
2nd |
MAAC |
NIT Semifinal |
| 1995-96 |
Canisius |
19 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
5th |
MAAC |
NCAA First Round |
| 1996-97 |
Canisius |
17 |
12 |
10 |
4 |
t-2nd |
MAAC |
- |
| 1997-98 |
Richmond |
23 |
8 |
12 |
4 |
3rd |
CAA |
NCAA Second Round |
| 1998-99 |
Richmond |
15 |
12 |
10 |
6 |
3rd |
CAA |
- |
| 1999-2000 |
Richmond |
18 |
12 |
11 |
5 |
3rd |
CAA |
- |
| 2000-01 |
Richmond |
22 |
7 |
12 |
4 |
1st |
CAA |
NIT Second Round |
| 2001-02 |
Richmond |
22 |
14 |
11 |
5 |
2nd |
Atlantic 10 |
NIT Quarterfinal |
| 2002-03 |
West Virginia |
14 |
15 |
5 |
11 |
6th (West) |
Big East |
- |
| 2003-04 |
West Virginia |
17 |
14 |
7 |
9 |
t-8th |
Big East |
NIT Second Round |
| 2004-05 |
West Virginia |
24 |
11 |
8 |
8 |
t-7th |
Big East |
NCAA Elite Eight |
| 2005-06 |
West Virginia |
22 |
11 |
11 |
5 |
3rd |
Big East |
NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2006-07 |
West Virginia |
27 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
t-7th |
Big East |
NIT Champions |
| 2007-08 |
Michigan |
10 |
22 |
5 |
13 |
9th |
Big Ten |
- |
| 2008-09 |
Michigan |
21 |
14 |
9 |
9 |
t-7th |
Big Ten |
NCAA Second Round |
| 2009-10 |
Michigan |
15 |
17 |
7 |
11 |
t-7th |
Big Ten |
- |
| 2010-11 |
Michigan |
21 |
14 |
9 |
9 |
t-4th |
Big Ten |
NCAA Third Round |
| Totals |
|
618 |
385 |
170 |
132 |
|
| |
Coach Career Record
| Years |
School |
W |
L |
W |
L |
| 1979-82 |
Erie C.C. |
75 |
43 |
- |
- |
| 1982-83 |
Nazareth |
20 |
6 |
- |
- |
| 1984-92 |
LeMoyne |
163 |
94 |
- |
- |
| 1993-97 |
Canisius |
89 |
62 |
44 |
26 |
| 1998-2002 |
Richmond |
100 |
53 |
56 |
24 |
| 2003-07 |
West Virginia |
104 |
60 |
40 |
40 |
| 2007-pres. |
Michigan |
67 |
67 |
30 |
42 |
| Career |
Years (32) |
618 |
385 |
170 |
132 |
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