Pistons hire ex-UM coach John Beilein as senior advisor

Detroit News

John Beilein is back.

The former Michigan basketball head coach will be joining the Pistons as a senior advisor for player development, a league source confirmed to The Detroit News on Tuesday.

The new role is a return to coaching in the state where he made his mark, taking the Wolverines to the NCAA title game in 2013 and 2018. Beilein, 68, is the all-time winningest coach in school history and left Michigan to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019-20. Beilein lasted just 54 games and went 14-40 before resigning.

Beilein attended several Pistons games at Little Caesars Arena this season, the first time he hasn’t coached since 1975, when he finished his playing career at Wheeling Jesuit University. In all of his coaching stops, including Michigan, West Virginia, Richmond, Canisius and LeMoyne, Beilein never has served as anything but a head coach.

In his 12 seasons at Michigan, Beilein notched a 278-150 overall record, including 126-92 in the Big Ten. He is noted for his player development and helping players reach the NBA, including Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Caris LeVert, Glenn Robinson III, Derrick Walton Jr. Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary from the 2013 team.

His other team that reached the NCAA championship game in 2018, also had future NBA players: Duncan Robinson, Moritz Wagner and Jordan Poole, among several others who still could follow.

Beilein was considered one of the best X-and-O coaches in college basketball, and working with player development for the Pistons, he’ll likely bring much of that expertise with him. His teams were regarded for their excellent 3-point shooting and attention to detail, and with the Pistons in the midst of a major retooling of their roster and building around their young core, adding Beilein as an advisor makes sense.

Marc Stein of The New York Times was first to report the news.

Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com

Twitter.com/detnewsRodBeard

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