(97.1 The Ticket) -- Former Michigan basketball coach John Beilein may be stepping down from his post with the Cleveland Cavaliers this week, according to a
report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Beilein was expected to make a decision by the end of Tuesday, and was expected to meet with Cavs executives about his future.
Sources: Beilein left for the All-Star break weighing his future as coach -- including the possibility that he's coached his final game, league sources tell ESPN. He has yet to make convey a decision, but there's been conversation w/ management about the option of a prompt exit. https://t.co/L5LVVyLiu4
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)
February 17, 2020 Beilein left Michigan last May and signed a five-year deal with the Cavs, but adjusting from the college ranks to an entirely different game in the NBA has been difficult for the veteran coach.
The Cavaliers are off to a 14-40 start -- worst in the Eastern Conference and second worst in the entire league -- and have endured a lot of bumps in the road throughout the season. Beilein reportedly called his team
"a bunch of thugs" during a film session last month
"Cleveland hired associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with the expectation that he would eventually replace Beilein as part of a succession plan, but no one -- not the organization nor Bickerstaff -- imagined it would be inside one of season," the ESPN story says.
Beilein spent 12 seasons in Ann Arbor, taking the Wolverines to nine NCAA Tournaments and two national championship games. He compiled a 278-150 record with Michigan before his abrupt departure last spring.
