| From MOP Squad Sports Michigan Wolverines
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - John Beilein wants to lead Michigan's basketball program back to national prominence. West Virginia coach John Beilein watches his team during the second half of an NCAA basketball tournament regional semifinal against Texas at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, in this March 23, 2006 file photo. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) "One day you're at the lowest of lows ... and then the next day you walk into an environment like this and it's hard to comprehend sometimes, but we're thrilled," he said at a news conference in Ann Arbor. Michigan will pay Beilein $1.3 million a season plus bonuses as part of a six-year contract to be its basketball coach. But the school will not give West Virginia any money for luring him away. "The buyout was a contractual issue between coach and WVU," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press Wednesday. Beilein's previous contract had a $2.5 million buyout clause — $500,000 for each year remaining on his deal. Beilein has a reputation for getting the most out of his players wherever he's coached. Less than a week after leading West Virginia to the NIT championship, Beilein accepted an offer to come to Ann Arbor and revive a program that made its last NCAA tournament appearance in 1998. Beilein took the job despite not visiting Michigan's campus. He'd never been in Morgantown, either, before leaving Richmond for West Virginia. The 54-year-old Beilein is the second straight Big East coach to take over at Michigan and is certain to face high expectations. The Wolverines fired Tommy Amaker in mid-March after the former Seton Hall coach's sixth season without an NCAA bid. The Wolverines went to the NIT three times in the past four years. They haven't made the NCAAs since 1998. Beilein has taken teams without great talent to five NCAA tournaments and six NIT appearances in 29 seasons. When he arrived at West Virginia in April 2002, the Mountaineers were coming off an 8-20 season in which Gale Catlett ended a 24-year career three weeks early in disgust over his team's poor performance and lack of pride. Beilein went 104-60 at West Virginia, including 27-9 this year despite losing his top four scorers from a year ago. Only one other team in school history won more games — a Jerry West-led team that lost to California in the NCAA championship game in 1959. Beilein's 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. © Copyright 2007 MOP Squad Sports |
