John Beilien’s career highlights, from Newfane High to Michigan

Career highlights for John Beilein, who is leaving Michigan for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

Strong farewell

In 2018-19, his final season as Michigan’s head coach, Beilein led the Wolverines to their third straight Sweet 16 (fifth overall), making them one of our schools to reach the Sweet 16 in the last three seasons.

For all the marbles

Michigan set a school record with 33 wins during the 2017-18 season that culminated with an appearance in the national championship game against eventual winner Villanova. The Wolverines repeated as Big Ten tournament champions and took that momentum to reach the second Final Four during Beilein’s career at Michigan. The Wolverines defeated Loyola-Chicago in the national semifinals to reach the title game.

Team of destiny

In 2017, as the eighth-seeded Wolverines headed to Washington, D.C., for the Big Ten tournament, their plane ran off the runway and crashed. The team was forced to leave the next morning just ahead of their first game. They won four games in four days, including upsets of top-seed Purdue and No. 2 Wisconsin, en route to becoming the lowest seed to ever win the Big Ten tournament.

Ending the drought

The first time Beilein reached the Final Four with the Wolverines during the 2012-13 season, not only was it his first visit to the national semifinals, it was the first time UM had reached a Final Four in 20 years. They tied the then-school record of 31 wins, and the 2013 Wolverines finished as national runners-up, falling to Louisville in the championship game. Beilein was named the 2013 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Award winners

Beilein helped 18 Wolverines earn All-Big Ten honors – Manny Harris (2008, '09, '10), DeShawn Sims (2008, '09, '10), Darius Morris (2011), Tim Hardaway Jr. (2011, '12, '13), Zack Novak (2012), Trey Burke (2012, '13), Glenn Robinson III (2013, '14), Nik Stauskas (2014), Caris LeVert (2014), Derrick Walton Jr. (2016, '17), Zak Irvin (2016, '17), Moritz Wagner (2017, '18), Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (2018), Ignas Brazdeikis (2019), Charles Matthews (2019), Jordan Poole (2019), Zavier Simpson (2019) and Jon Teske (2019). Beilein coached Burke to 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year the following season. Stauskas was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2014, giving the Wolverines back-to-back winners of that award. Duncan Robinson was UM’s first Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year in 2018, and Brazdeikis became the program’s second Big Ten Freshman of the Year under Beilein in 2019. Burke became the second Wolverine in program history to be awarded consensus National Player of the Year and All-America honors in 2013, joining UM legend Cazzie Russell. Adding to his national recognition, Burke claimed the John R. Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Award, the Naismith Trophy and the Bob Cousy Award for the nation's top point guard.

Sending them to the NBA

Beilein has coached nine Michigan players selected in the NBA Draft – Morris (2011, No. 41 by Los Angeles Lakers), Burke (2013, No. 9 by Minnesota Timberwolves, then draft day trade to Utah Jazz), Hardaway (2013, No. 24 by New York Knicks), Stauskas (2014, No. 8 by Sacramento Kings), Mitch McGary (2014, No. 21 by Oklahoma City Thunder), Robinson III (2014, No. 40 by Minnesota Timberwolves), Caris LeVert (2016, No. 20 by Indiana Pacers, then draft day trade to Brooklyn Nets), D.J. Wilson (2017, No. 17 by Milwaukee Bucks) and Moritz Wagner (2018, No. 25 by Los Angeles Lakers).

Before Michigan

Beilein spent five seasons at West Virginia and went 104-60, earning four consecutive postseason berths, including two straight Sweet 16 appearances in 2005 and 2006. The Mountaineers went to the Elite Eight in 2005 for the first time in 42 years and for the first time in Beilein's coaching career. They won the NIT in 2007. Beilein coached three players who reached 1,000 career points, including his son, Patrick, who finished with 1,001.

Coaching the Spiders

He also spent five seasons at Richmond (1997-2002) and had a 100-53 (.654) record, giving him the second-highest winning percentage in the school's basketball history. After three-straight third-place finishes in the Colonial Athletic Association, Beilein led the Spiders to the league title (2000-01).

Early years

Beilein spent five years at Canisius (1992-97) and led Golden Griffins to the 1994 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title and three consecutive postseason appearances, including the 1995 NIT semifinal and the 1996 NCAA Tournament. He earned the 1994 MAAC Coach of the Year honors as well as New York State Division I Coach of the Year. Before arriving at Canisius, Beilein turned a lowly Le Moyne squad into a Division II contender during his nine seasons (1983-92). In 1987-88, Le Moyne won a school-record 24 games, was crowned Mideast Conference champion and earned a berth in the Division II Tournament. He coached one year at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, from 1982-83, leading the program to a 20-6 record.

Starting spot

His coaching career began at Newfane (N.Y.) High School. He coached the junior varsity for two seasons for a 27-9 record before moving to the varsity in 1977 guiding the program to a 13-6 record – the first winning season in eight years. Following that season, Beilein accepted his first collegiate head coaching position at Erie Community College in Buffalo, where he was 75-43 in four seasons.

Beilein by the numbers

► 829-468 overall record (41 seasons), 278-150 at Michigan (12 seasons)

► 23 seasons of 20-plus wins

► 35 winning seasons

► 20 postseason appearances (13 NCAA Division I, six NIT, one Division II); nine with Michigan

► Took four teams to NCAA Tournament – Canisius (1996), Richmond (1998), West Virginia (2005, 2006), Michigan (2009, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’16, ’17, ’18, ’19)

► Two national championship games (2013, 2018)

► Two Big Ten regular-season titles (2012, 2014)

► Two Big Ten Tournament titles (2017, 2018)

► Big Ten coach of the year, 2013