Beilein confirms he's leaving WVU for Michigan
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
04/03/2007 -
Michigan hired John Beilein to coach its men's basketball team, a week after he led West Virginia to the NIT championship.
Beilein told his players of the decision Tuesday at a team meeting in Morgantown, W.Va.
``It was just the right thing for me to do at this time,'' Beilein said outside the WVU Coliseum. ``There's never a good time to leave.''
Beilein, who took a downtrodden program to two NCAA tournaments in five seasons, takes over a Michigan team that hasn't made the NCAAs since 1998.
Beilein's West Virginia 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. WVU, which won 22 games during the regular season, felt slighted when it wasn't chosen for this year's NCAA tournament.
There will be high expectations at Michigan, which fired Tommy Amaker in mid-March after the Wolverines went to the NIT for the third time in four years.
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 amassed more wins - a Jerry West-led team that lost to California in the NCAA championship game in 1959.
The 54-year-old Beilein, under contract through the 2011-12 season, was to earn at least $740,000 per season with annual increases of $20,000.
Wherever he's coached, Beilein has been a success, taking teams without great talent to five NCAA tournaments and six NIT appearances in 29 seasons. His 1-3-1 defense gives opponents fits and his offense ranked second in the country averaging 10.3 3-pointers this season.
In only one of his five previous coaching jobs has Beilein stayed more than five years. He spent nine years at LeMoyne, then five apiece at Canisius and Richmond before coming to West Virginia, where he recently completed his fifth season.
In 2005, after taking the Mountaineers to the NCAA regional finals, Beilein received a contract extension to derail a possible courtship from Virginia.
Last year North Carolina State came calling, but a $3 million buyout clause in Beilein's contract derailed negotiations.
It will cost Michigan $2.5 million to buy out Beilein at West Virginia, plus his salary, which could run about $1 million per season in a multiyear contract.
``I am excited about this new opportunity at Michigan,'' Beilein said. ``I wouldn't go there if I didn't think they could win a national championship.''
---
AP Sports Writer John Raby contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Frank Gore has some big goals to go along with his big new contract with the San Francisco 49ers. The Pro Bowl running back hopes to improve on his breakout campaign last season and top 2,000 yards in 2007.Gore finished 2006 as t
<< Mitchell asks union for interviews
NEW YORK (AP) -Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell finally asked to interview active baseball players as part of his steroids investigation and is awaiting a reply from the players' association.Union general counsel Michael Weiner said a M
<< Championship Gators return to rousing reception
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Florida center Al Horford raised the NCAA trophy high above his head and greeted appreciative fans after the men's basketball team returned on a charter flight from Atlanta on Tuesday with their second championship trophy in
<< Knicks coach fined for criticizing officials
NEW YORK (AP) -New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for questioning the treatment Stephon Marbury is getting from referees.Thomas criticized the officials after the Knicks' 103-94 loss to the New Orleans Hornets
<< Nets recall Mile Ilic from NBA Development League
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -The New Jersey Nets recalled rookie center Mile Ilic from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League on Tuesday.Ilic will be out indefinitely after spraining his left ankle in the 14ers game against Sioux Falls on S
NEW YORK (AP) -Florida's quest to repeat as NCAA champions was a hit with television viewers.Florida's 84-75 win over Ohio State on Monday night was watched by 13.59 million households, up nine percent from last year, when 12.31 million households t
Jones, Henry, union leaders all meet with Goodell >>
NEW YORK (AP) -NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials met with Adam ``Pacman'' Jones Tuesday as the Tennessee Titans' cornerback attempted to avoid a long suspension following a series of arrests.Goodell and his staff also met with Cinc
Beilein leaving West Virginia for Michigan >>
It was planned to be a meeting where John Beilein told his West Virginia players how to prepare for offseason workouts. Instead, he told them goodbye.Beilein, who took the Mountaineers from mediocrity to two NCAA tournaments and an NIT championship,
Hawks guard Josh Childress out for season with foot fracture >>
ATLANTA (AP) -Hawks guard Josh Childress will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot.The team announced the injury Tuesday and said Childress, a first-round draft pick from Stanford in 2004, is expected to recover in fo
Heath: South Florida will win - and soon >>
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Stan Heath is undaunted by South Florida's lack of success in basketball. He's been associated with winning programs everywhere he's coached and is confident he can transform the Bulls into one, too.``This is a great opportunity fo
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
Should be in:
Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?
Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.
Work left to do:
Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.
Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.
Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.
Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.
For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com
Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.