Michigan hires Beilein as coach
April 4, 2007
Michigan hired John Beilein to coach its men’s basketball team, a week after he led West Virginia to the NIT championship.
Beilein told his players of the decision Tuesday at a team meeting in Morgantown, W.V.
“It was just the right thing for me to do at this time,” Beilein said outside the WVU Coliseum. “There’s never a good time to leave.”
Beilein, who took a downtrodden program to two NCAA tournaments in five seasons, takes over a Michigan team that hasn’t made the NCAAs since 1998.
Beilein’s West Virginia teams made deep runs in the NCAA tournament the previous two seasons, and the Mountaineers beat Clemson 78-73 for the NIT title last week.