INDEPENDENCE — No matter how many times John Beilein misspoke or how many missteps he made, he let Cavaliers players and staff see a different side of himself when he walked away Wednesday.
Worn down by a 14-40 record, the likes of which he never experienced during a 41-year college career, Beilein addressed the team at Cleveland Clinic Courts before he drove off. The 67-year-old coach resigned with three more years guaranteed on his contract, with the Cavs announcing he will assume an undisclosed role as associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff takes over without an interim title.
If Beilein’s role is in the shadows, he left a powerful memory with his final message.
“I’ve never had a coach that had either stepped down or got fired to come in and talk to us, but just seeing him being vulnerable and treating us with respect and empathy, I thought it was super powerful,” five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love said. “I respect the hell out of him.
“He walks in and just lays it all out on the line. I’ve had to walk the walk of everything I’ve talked about being vulnerable as a man and being vulnerable in any situation in life and having to speak the truth and it was really ballsy and hard to, I would imagine. So for him to do that and look us all in the eye … that’s big. That’s real man s--- right there.”
Bickerstaff, 40, who compiled an 85-131 record as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, is the Cavs’ sixth coach in the past seven seasons and the fourth since October, 2018. He said he came to the Cavs in May under the plan that he would succeed Beilein someday.
But while Bickerstaff said it happened much sooner than he expected, he also appreciated Beilein’s farewell. Beilein had spent the previous 12 seasons at Michigan and the Wolverines reached the NCAA Tournament nine times.
“That’s tough to do,” Bickerstaff said. “For a guy with his credentials to walk in front of a room of A-type personalities and to be vulnerable, is very difficult. So you got to give him a ton of credit for that, and I think the guys, because they are quality people, they felt that. And they were moved by that.
“From there, it allows you to move forward, without the questions of ‘what if’ or ‘why.’ To have that conversation face to face and see somebody as a human being, you know making a decision, as opposed to something that’s in text or in writing, it makes it different. And I think that was a huge step by coach to do that.”
Beilein’s statement reflected just how hard the past nine months had been on him. The Cavs snapped a 12-game home losing streak in what turned out to be his last night on the bench Feb. 12 against the Hawks.
“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in his statement. “I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences this toll could potentially take on my own health and my family’s well-being down the road.
“I was not certain I could be at my best for the remainder of the season and in the future. That would not be fair to the players, coaches and support staff.”
Reports surfaced late Sunday night during the NBA All-Star Game that Beilein had discussed his future with the Cavs front office. The Cavs take the second-worst record in the league and the worst mark in the Eastern Conference into Friday’s game at Washington.
“John Beilein is one of the more accomplished basketball coaches in the history of our game and while it’s unexpected, we understand and respect his decision to step down as head coach of the Cavaliers,” Cavs General Manager Koby Altman said in the team’s release. “I was excited about the development of our young players, who have all shown growth and maturity under coach Beilein. We are thankful for the time he spent as head coach with the Cavaliers and are looking forward to his continued contribution.
“The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking on important long-term decisions to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. ... Building a strong culture will continue to be the top priority here at the Cavaliers.”
Many players tuned out Beilein from the start, turned off by his college style of coaching, his long film sessions and his emphasis on fundamentals. Love was one of those veterans who didn’t appreciate Beilein’s way of teaching, and admitted the players had a hand in his departure.
“I think losing definitely drove… you saw me, I went a little crazy myself,” Love said, referring to his selfish actions in games at Toronto and at home against Oklahoma City.
“Players, in some ways, in a lot of ways, we could have been a lot better. You have a lot of young players on this team and the veterans are trying to figure out ways to help the young fellas as well as the coaches. But when you look at things in their entirety as an accumulation, that’s when you start to see the story, it’s not just one man.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Cavs at www.beaconjournal.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
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