Report: John Beilein stepping down as head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers
John Beilein’s time in the NBA amounts to a cup of coffee. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Beilein plans to step down as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through his first year with the franchise.
Reports first started surfacing earlier this week that Beilein was talking with the front office about potentially stepping down during the All-Star Break. The transition from the college game to the professional ranks hasn’t been easy for the longtime college basketball coach, and it appears he won’t stick around to see the Cavaliers finish the season.
Story filed to ESPN: After a brief and tumultuous tenure, John Beilein is leaving as Cleveland's coach. Associate HC JB Bickerstaff will be elevated to head coach. Beilein's expected to say goodbye to staff and players on Wednesday upon team's return from All-Star Break.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2020
Cleveland is currently 14-4o on the season.
Beilein’s abrupt decision to leave Michigan for the NBA came as a surprise to college basketball fans everywhere, but at 67, he decided he wants to give the next level a shot. He left the Wolverines after 12 seasons, winning two B1G regular season titles, two B1G Tournament titles and leading the program to two Final Four appearances.
It was not reported whether or not Beilein would have any interest in returning to the college game or if he’ll call it a career.