Rise to Success: Career Highlights of John Beilein

How John Beilein built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

John Beilein is an American basketball coach and analyst for the Big Ten Network. He's known for his successful college coaching career, including stints at Michigan, West Virginia, Richmond, and Canisius. Before joining the Big Ten Network, Beilein served as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. He also coached Le Moyne Dolphins, Nazareth College and Erie Community College. Beilein has accumulated over 754 wins at four-year universities and 829 games altogether, including those at the junior college level. Beilein's overall career wins counting the time spent in Cleveland is 843 games.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1978: Coach of Erie Community College

From 1978 to 1982, John Beilein served as the coach of Erie Community College.

1982: Coach of Nazareth College

In 1982, John Beilein became the coach of Nazareth College.

1983: Coach of Le Moyne College

From 1983 to 1992, John Beilein coached at Le Moyne College.

1984: School Record for Most Wins to Start a Season

In 2018-19, Michigan went on to win its first 17 games of the season tying the 1984-85 team for most consecutive wins altogether.

1985: Michigan Finishes Season

In 2011-12, the Wolverines finished 24–10 overall and 13–5 in Big Ten play, winning a share of the regular-season Big Ten championship for the first time since the 1985–86 team.

1985: School Record for Most Wins to Start a Season

In 2018-19, Michigan went on to win its first 17 games of the season tying the 1984-85 team for most consecutive wins altogether.

1986: First Outright Big Ten Championship Since 1986

In 2014, Beilein led Michigan to a 15-3 conference record, securing the university's first outright regular season Big Ten championship since 1986.

1987: Applied to coach at Canisius

In 1987, John Beilein first applied to coach Division I basketball at Canisius, but he was not hired at that time.

1989: Finalist at Colgate University

In 1989, after his first application for the job at Canisius, John Beilein was a finalist for Division I job at Colgate University.

1990: Third First-Year Head Coach Since 1990

On February 19, 2020, Beilein became the third first-year head coach since 1990, after Jerry Tarkanian of the Spurs (1992–1993) and Randy Ayers of the 76ers (2003–2004), to coach the season opener without completing the season.

December 5, 1992: Michigan's ranking

The 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines marked the first time Michigan ranked atop the AP Poll since the 1992–93 team did so on December 5, 1992.

1992: Arrival at Canisius College

In 1992, John Beilein arrived at Canisius College as head coach for the 1992–93 season.

1992: Coached Canisius Golden Griffins

In 1992, John Beilein became the coach of the Canisius Golden Griffins in NCAA Division I.

1992: Hired at Canisius

In 1992, John Beilein was finally hired to a Division I post at Canisius.

1992: End of Le Moyne College Coaching

In 1992, John Beilein's time as the coach of Le Moyne College came to an end.

1992: Third First-Year Head Coach Since 1990

1992: Single-Season Program Record

On March 24, Michigan defeated Florida State 58–54 in the West regional finals of the 2018 NCAA tournament. With the win, Michigan advanced to the Final Four for the eighth time in program history and set a single-season program record with its 32nd victory of the season, surpassing the previous record of 31 wins set by the 1992–93 and 2012–13 teams.

1993: Michigan Advances to the Final Four

In 2013, John Beilein led Michigan to the Final Four for the first time since 1993.

1993: Third First-Year Head Coach Since 1990

1995: Michigan ends losing streak

On March 1, 2011, Michigan won at Illinois for the first time since 1995, ending a 13-game losing streak in Champaign.

1996: NCAA Tournament Berth

In 1996, Beilein coached the team to the conference tournament championship to earn a berth in the 1996 NCAA tournament despite the absence of the injured Barley for the tournament. Canisius earned a thirteen seed and matchup against the fourth-seeded Utah Utes in the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1957.

1997: Coached Richmond Spiders

In 1997, John Beilein became the coach of the Richmond Spiders in NCAA Division I.

1997: Michigan Victory

In 2011, Michigan had its first season sweep against Michigan State, and the victory at Michigan State was Michigan's first since 1997.

1998: 1998 NCAA tournament selection

In 1998, the Richmond Spiders posted its first winning season since 1993. The team won the tournament, earning the school a 1998 NCAA tournament selection, its first NCAA tournament berth since 1991. Richmond, which was seeded 14th, upset the third-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the tournament, but lost their second game in the tournament to the Washington Huskies.

1998: Big Ten Tournament Title Since 1998

In 2017, Michigan went on to win its next three games to achieve its first Big Ten tournament title since its 1998 title that has been vacated.

2001: NIT Tournament

In 2001, Richmond played in the NIT, where they defeated West Virginia before losing to Dayton. John Beilein declined an offer to coach at Rutgers at the end of the season.

April 2002: Accepts WVU Head Coaching Position

In April 2002, John Beilein accepted the head coaching position at West Virginia University (WVU).

2002: Coached West Virginia Mountaineers

In 2002, John Beilein became the coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers.

2002: NIT Quarterfinals

In 2002, Richmond defeated Wagner, Montana State, and Minnesota before losing to Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

2002: West Virginia Qualifies for Big East Tournament

In 2002, West Virginia qualified for the Big East tournament in their final conference game by beating Virginia Tech to secure 6th place in the western division.

2003: WVU Regular Season

Following the 2003 regular season, West Virginia qualified for the 2004 Big East tournament as the number 10 seed.

2003: WVU Loses in First Round of Big East Tournament

In 2003, West Virginia lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Providence by a 73–50 margin to end their season.

2003: Third First-Year Head Coach Since 1990

2004: WVU Participates in Big East and NIT Tournaments

Following the 2003-04 regular season, West Virginia qualified for the 2004 Big East tournament as the number 10 seed, losing in the first round to Notre Dame. The team's 15-13 record earned them an invitation to the 2004 NIT, where they defeated Kent State and Rhode Island before losing to Rutgers.

2004: Beilein's Team Enters Big East Tournament

In 2004, Beilein's team entered the 2005 Big East tournament with an 18–9 record as the eighth seed and as a team on the bubble for the 2005 NCAA tournament.

2004: WVU Reaches NCAA Tournament Elite Eight

In 2004, West Virginia University (WVU) achieved a 24–11 record and advanced to the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA tournament.

2004: Third First-Year Head Coach Since 1990

2005: WVU's strong performance in Big East Conference

During the 2005-06 season, West Virginia (WVU) had a strong start in the Big East conference, winning its first eight games and entering the top ten in national rankings in February, marking the first time the team ranked in the top ten in the Coaches' Poll since 1993.

2005: WVU Reaches Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament

In 2005, West Virginia, as the eighth seed, advanced through the Big East tournament, ultimately losing to Syracuse in the finals. They then earned a seven seed in the NCAA tournament, defeating Creighton, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech before losing to Louisville in the Elite Eight round.

February 6, 2006: Michigan Appearances in National Rankings

On February 6, 2006, was the last time the Wolverines reached top 25 in the national rankings before December 22, 2008.

2006: WVU Regular Season

During the 2006-07 season, WVU finished the regular season with a 21–8 (9–7 Big East) record to earn the number seven seed in the 2007 Big East tournament.

2006: WVU Competes in NCAA Tournament

In 2006, West Virginia (WVU) earned a number six seed in the NCAA tournament, winning games against Southern Illinois and Northwestern State before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to Texas.

2006: WVU Reaches NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

In 2006, West Virginia University (WVU) achieved a 22–11 record and advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" round of the NCAA tournament.

April 3, 2007: Beilein Hired as Michigan's Head Coach

On April 3, 2007, John Beilein was announced as the new head coach for the University of Michigan, replacing Tommy Amaker. The team was facing scholarship reductions due to the Ed Martin scandal and struggled to a 10–22 record during the 2007–08 season.

2007: Coached Michigan Wolverines

In 2007, John Beilein became the coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

2007: West Virginia Wins NIT Championship

In 2007, West Virginia (WVU) won the NIT championship after defeating Clemson 78-73. Before the NIT semifinals, rumors circulated that Beilein would take the Michigan job. He was announced as a finalist for the job before the championship game.

2008: Michigan Upsets UCLA

In 2008, the unranked Michigan Wolverines upset #4-ranked UCLA, recording their first win over a top-five team in eleven years.

2008: Patrick Beilein Graduate Assistant Coach at University of Michigan

In the 2008–2009 season, Patrick Beilein served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Michigan.

2009: Michigan Reaches NCAA Tournament

In 2009, John Beilein led the Michigan Wolverines to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 11 years, earning a tenth seed and defeating Clemson before losing to Oklahoma in the second round. Also in 2009, Beilein had achieved a 20-win season at seven different schools, including four at the Division I level (Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia, Michigan).

2009: Patrick Beilein Graduate Assistant Coach at University of Michigan

In the 2008–2009 season, Patrick Beilein served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Michigan.

2009: Big East Tournament Format

Prior to 2009, the Big East tournament only included the top 12 teams.

2010: First Team to Win Consecutive Tournament Championships Since 2010 and 2011

In 2018, the wolverines became the first team to win consecutive tournament championships since Ohio State in 2010 and 2011.

2010: Michigan's Projected Performance

In the 2010-11 season, the Detroit News projected Michigan to finish 10th in the 11-team conference.

2011: Michigan Reaches NCAA Tournament

In 2011, Michigan earned a #8 seed in the NCAA tournament, defeating Tennessee 75–45, establishing two NCAA tournament records: the largest victory margin by an eight seed, and becoming the first team to ever win a tournament game without making a free throw. However, they lost to Duke in the next round.

2011: First Team to Win Consecutive Tournament Championships Since 2010 and 2011

In 2018, the wolverines became the first team to win consecutive tournament championships since Ohio State in 2010 and 2011.

2011: Michigan Defeats Michigan State

On January 17, 2011, Michigan defeated 9th-ranked Michigan State, marking Beilein's third consecutive win over the Spartans.

2012: Beilein Reaches Coaching Milestones

By helming the 2012-13 Wolverines, Beilein reached his sixth season with the same team for the first time. Beilein achieved his 650th win as a college basketball head coach in December 4, 2012. Also in 2012, Beilein achieved his 100th win as head coach at Michigan in December 8.

2012: School Record for Most Wins to Start a Season

In 2018-19, Michigan went on to win its first 17 games of the season setting the school record for most wins to start a season, surpassing the 2012-13 team.

2012: Single-Season Program Record

2013: Michigan Advances to NCAA Championship Game

In 2013, John Beilein led Michigan to the Final Four for the first time since 1993. They defeated Syracuse to advance to the national championship game, where they lost to Louisville. In 2013, John Beilein was selected as an assistant coach for the 2013 World University Games.

2013: NCAA Tournament Appearance

In 2013, John Beilein's team at Michigan advanced as far as the national championship game in the NCAA Tournament.

2013: 2013-14 Season Start and Early Challenges

In 2013, the Michigan team, initially ranked in the top 10, faced early-season challenges, losing four non-conference games and falling out of the polls for the first time in over two seasons.

2014: 2014 Season Achievements

In 2014, Beilein won Michigan's first outright regular season Big Ten championship since 1986. The Wolverines earned a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the Elite Eight to eventual runner-up Kentucky. Beilein was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media and earned his 700th career win to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season.

2014: 2014-15 Season Start and Ranking

In 2014, the Michigan team entered the season ranked number 23 in the Coaches' Poll and number 24 in the AP Poll.

2016: Milestone Wins During 2016-17 Season

During the Wolverines' 2016–17 season Beilein achieved several milestones: 750th career win as a head coach (December 22 vs. Furman), his 200th career win as head coach at Michigan (January 4 vs. Penn State), and his 500th career Division I win as a head coach (February 22 vs. Rutgers).

March 9, 2017: Surpassing Johnny Orr

On March 9, 2017, Beilein surpassed Johnny Orr to become the all-time leader in wins as coach at Michigan with a win over Illinois at the 2017 Big Ten tournament.

June 2017: Title Renaming

In June 2017, Beilein's title was renamed as the David and Meredith Kaplan Men's Basketball Head Coach at Michigan after a $7.5 million gift from UM alums David Kaplan and his wife, Meredith Kaplan.

2017: 2017-18 Season

The 2017-18 Wolverines won the 2018 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament to claim their second consecutive Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament championship

November 6, 2018: 800th Career Win

On November 6, 2018, Beilein earned his 800th career win as a head coach with a victory over Norfolk State.

2018: Beilein Contract Extension

During the 2013 offseason, Beilein signed a second contract extension through the 2018–19 season, raising his annual salary to $2,450,000.

2018: NCAA Tournament Appearance

In 2018, John Beilein's team at Michigan advanced as far as the national championship game in the NCAA Tournament.

2018: 2018 Season Achievements

In 2018, the Wolverines won their second consecutive Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament. The team advanced to the Final Four for the eighth time in program history and set a single-season program record with its 32nd victory. After outlasting Loyola Chicago in the Final Four game, they fell to Villanova in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game.