Following an extremely successful tenure with the University of Michigan, John Beilein made the jump to the NBA last summer, taking the head coaching position with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a five-year pact.
It ended after less than a full season on the job. He resigned in February of this year, becoming only the third first-year NBA coach to resign during the first year.
Former Wolverines star Nik Stauskas spoke on the Big Ten Network’s Take Ten Podcast, in which he details meeting with his former coach and warning him about the differences between college and the professional ranks.
“I know how Coach B likes to… you know, not like a control freak, but he likes to have guys that are going to buy into his system, and that’s how it works,” he said. “Everyone needs to buy into a common goal.”
“I told him, ‘It’s different up there. They’re not going to listen to you and buy in the same way these 18-year-olds coming into Michigan will,” Stauskas continued, “‘it was more of like an ego-personality thing that you are going to be dealing with once you get to the NBA. You have guys making a lot of money, there’s entitlement, there are all of these different things there that aren’t necessarily at Michigan that you don’t have to deal with. So, I warned him of different things.’”
However, Stauskas said that Beilein remained “dead set” on being in the NBA, and feels badly for how soon it ended.
“I knew he was still going to chase that dream because I mean, you can’t hold someone back. If that is their dream and they’re going to give it a try, go for it,” he said….”It was unfortunate, the way it all played out. I felt bad for him that things ended so quickly and that he didn’t get to see it all the way through. I don’t think that should tarnish his image or his career by any means. To this day, my favorite coach I ever played for hands down. I truly love him and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
– – Quotes via Daniel Plocher of SB Nation Link – –
