Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Sources: Beilein out, Bickerstaff in as Cavs coach

Written by 
Published in Basketball
Tuesday, 18 February 2020 19:03

After a brief and tumultuous tenure, John Beilein is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers as head coach, league sources told ESPN.

The Cavaliers are promoting associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to become the full-time head coach, and he will run his first practice Wednesday evening, league sources said.

Beilein, 67, is expected to say goodbye to staff and players late Wednesday afternoon when they return from the All-Star break, league sources said.

The Cavaliers and Beilein negotiated a financial settlement that will pay him a portion of the remaining money on his 2019-20 contract, league sources said. He left Michigan and signed a five-year contract with Cleveland that included a team option for the final season, a deal that paid him more than $4 million per season, league sources said.

Beilein struggled to connect with NBA players and was never able to implement his collegiate offense into the pro game. He befell the plight of some previous coaches who made the leap to the NBA: players quickly tuning him out with his penchant for screaming and believing that Beilein was treating them as young, college athletes, not as professionals, league sources said.

The coach struggled with the stress of losing games and the lack of control he felt within the locker room, league sources said. The organization largely wanted him to just concentrate on developing the young talent on the roster.

Bickerstaff was hired as part of an eventual succession plan with Beilein, who came to the NBA after 40-plus years in college basketball. That elevation came much sooner than expected after Beilein was hired in the spring.

Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and Beilein began discussing the possibility of the coach stepping down before the beginning of the All-Star break last week, sources said.

Cleveland ownership and management had been determined to see through a difficult start with Beilein, but it became increasingly apparent to the front office and the coach that the partnership was headed for an inevitable split.

Friends and associates of Beilein have described him as unhappy -- even miserable -- with the move to the Cavaliers. The losing that comes with a rebuild, as well as several skirmishes in public and private with players, has played a part in the rapid deterioration of tenure, sources said.

Beilein had to apologize to his team after a January team meeting in which he referred to his players as "no longer playing as a bunch of thugs."

Cleveland's 14-40 record is the worst in the Eastern Conference and second-worst in the NBA, ahead of only the Golden State Warriors (12-43). Management expected the team to lose a significant number of games as it turned toward rebuilding its roster around a younger core, but Beilein had several missteps along the way that shook the players' confidence in his leadership, league sources said.

Altman had hired Beilein with the hopes that the coach's well-regarded history as a teacher at the college level would infuse the Cavaliers with a strong program for player development and his storied offensive sets. Opposing teams realized early that Beilein had scrapped his offense shortly into the season and retreated to more traditional NBA sets.

Beilein had been sought after in the NBA, discussing job opportunities with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks in recent years.

He has a career record of 571-325 as a college coach. He made the NCAA tournament in his last four seasons at Michigan, including a Final Four appearance in 2017-18.

As the interim head coach with Houston in 2015-16, Bickerstaff led the Rockets to the playoffs with a 37-34 record. In two seasons with the rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies, Bickerstaff was 15-48 as an interim coach in 2017-18 following David Fizdale's firing and 33-49 in 2018-19.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst contributed to this report.

Read 280 times

Soccer

Messi held in check as Paraguay shock Argentina

Messi held in check as Paraguay shock Argentina

A stunning bicycle kick from Antonio Sanabria and a second-half header from Omar Alderete gave Parag...

Deschamps: Mbappé struggles part 'psychological'

Deschamps: Mbappé struggles part 'psychological'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFrance coach Didier Deschamps said Thursday that there are both phy...

Follow live: USMNT face Jamaica in first leg of Nations League quarterfinal

Follow live: USMNT face Jamaica in first leg of Nations League quarterfinal

Mexico defender Julián Araujo out indefinitely after surgeryMexico international Julián Araujo will...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Kyrie sits out vs. Jazz to rest strained shoulder

Kyrie sits out vs. Jazz to rest strained shoulder

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSALT LAKE CITY -- Dallas guard Kyrie Irving sat out the Mavericks'...

Warriors guard Melton ruled out with ACL sprain

Warriors guard Melton ruled out with ACL sprain

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton has...

Baseball

Sims to replace Sterling as Yankees radio voice

Sims to replace Sterling as Yankees radio voice

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Dave Sims is replacing John Sterling as Suzyn Waldman's...

Sale, Crochet named comeback players of year

Sale, Crochet named comeback players of year

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLAS VEGAS -- Left-handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Garr...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated