Cavs Pinning Hopes On College Coach To Establish New Culture, Player Development

As far as the coaching carousel in the NBA is concerned, much of the attention has revolved on the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cleveland Cavaliers, perhaps the quietest team right now, did need a head coach of their own to replace former head coach Larry Drew. It turns out that college coach John Beilein is their guy.

To many, Beilein may not immediately ring a bell. But the 65-year-old mentor is a big name in the NCAA tournament. One of his greatest accomplishments was leading the Michigan Wolverines to the 2018 NCAA Championship. It was the second time he was able to push the team that far although, the first one of which happened back in 2013. The only downside is that the Wolverines came up short on both occasions. They lost to Louisville in 2013 and then to Villanova in 2018, NBA.com reported.

But it looks like team owner Dan Gilbert saw something in Beilein that would be fit for the rebuilding Cavs, even branding him as a winner.

"He defines the words class, integrity and character. He is a tireless worker who obsesses about finding better ways and the inches that will help his team and the organization grow. John is a brilliant basketball mind and last but not least, John Beilein is a winner," said Gilbert.

Ironically, this will not be the first time that Beilein's name has been mentioned in the NBA. He was among the coaches interviewed by the Detroit Pistons last year, NBA.com reported in another article. At the time, the Pistons were looking for a replacement to Stan Van Gundy. Detroit eventually hired Dwane Casey.

Filled mostly with young stars like Colin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Marquese Chriss, and Larry Nance Jr., Beilein could be the guy to bring out the best in this rising future NBA stars. Since the departure of LeBron James, the Cavs found themselves trying to establish a new identity. They had their share of pounding during the 2018-19 NBA season with most of their veterans out due to injury or issues with the team.

The Cavs finished tied with Phoenix with the league's worst record behind the New York Knicks. They do have a 14-percent chance of picking at this year's NBA Draft with Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett among the top rookies coming in.