While much of the country on Sunday night was focused on the Elam ending, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst broke a story that could have ramifications in both the NBA and college basketball. According to league sources, the Cleveland Cavaliers and coach John Beilein have discussed the possibility of Beilein stepping down as early as this week.
The Cavaliers are the worst team in the Eastern Conference, sitting at just 14-40 at the All-Star break. Beilein has had a number of issues in his first year in the NBA, including an incident in which he had to apologize to his team for referring to them as "a bunch of thugs."
Beilein left Michigan last May to sign a five-year deal with the Cavaliers, but it appears that venture might end after less than one season. An offensive mastermind, he established himself as one of the best coaches in the country during his 12 seasons in Ann Arbor, leading the Wolverines to two national championship games and five Sweet 16 appearances.
The prospect of Beilein being a candidate for college openings this spring has been discussed in industry circles for weeks, sources told ESPN. If he did step down at some point over the next month, he would be available as a candidate earlier than expected.
What might be the next move for Beilein?
Retirement
Beilein might not have any interest in coaching again. He turned 67 earlier this month and has been coaching at different levels for 45 years. His son, Patrick, left his head-coaching job at Niagara before the start of the season, citing personal reasons. Beilein has spoken out against the illegal recruiting practices that led to the FBI's investigation into college basketball, saying in 2017 of the people implicated, "Get them the heck out of our business." When Beilein left Michigan last spring, one of the reasons often cited was his frustration with the recruiting process. He could simply leave all that behind, call it a career and return to upstate New York to spend time with his family. Taking a year off to assess his options and then come back to coaching seems unlikely.
Texas
This will likely be the primary job that comes up in speculation about Beilein's future. Texas coach Shaka Smart's job status is the biggest question entering the coaching carousel, as the Longhorns are likely to end his fifth year in charge with just two NCAA tournament appearances and zero NCAA tournament wins. A 29-point loss over the weekend to an 11-14 Iowa State team without its best player was Texas' fourth defeat in a row and dropped the Longhorns to 14-11 overall and 4-8 in the Big 12.
Smart is still owed a lot of money and does have talent on the roster, but should he get fired or leave for a different job, Beilein would be a logical candidate in Austin. Texas has not had an issue getting players, but it hasn't translated into success on the court. If the Longhorns can bring Beilein talent, he will likely figure out the second part of the equation. It's worth noting that Texas assistant coach Luke Yaklich was an assistant under Beilein for two seasons before Beilein left for the NBA.
Boston College
It's not a sure thing Jim Christian gets dismissed. The Eagles are 7-8 in the ACC this season, and Sunday's home win over NC State moves them to .500 overall. That said, the league is down as a whole and 7-8 isn't what it used to be. Christian likely needs a strong finish to guarantee his spot next season. He has been in Chestnut Hill for six seasons and was 18-72 in the league entering this season.
Could Beilein be a fit at Boston College? It would be something different, as going after proven mid-major head coaches (Christian, Steve Donahue) has not worked in the past two cycles for the Eagles. Beilein has been able to win without elite talent, a job requirement at BC. It's a bit closer to home, too.
DePaul
After a strong start to the season, DePaul has resumed its tradition of finishing at the bottom of the Big East standings. The Blue Demons are 1-11 in the league and are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. Through nearly five seasons at the helm, Dave Leitao is just 17-77 in conference play. DePaul announced in September that it was negotiating a contract extension with Leitao through 2024, but an official announcement never came and there have been questions in the industry about whether the two sides ever reached an agreement. Leitao's current contract is set to run out after this season.
I'm not sure Beilein is a great fit for DePaul. The combination of it being a rebuilding job and having to recruit the city of Chicago, where Beilein has rarely if ever recruited, could make it difficult.
Mid-major jobs
I don't think Beilein is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for a mid-major job, but it could be a way for him to get back into college coaching while also avoiding the high-stakes environment of elite-level recruiting. I just don't see it happening.
Jobs that open following the FBI's investigation
There might be something akin to two coaching carousels this spring. We'll have the usual routine in March and early April, where 40 to 50 jobs open and get filled. But at some point in the offseason, we're likely to see punishments handed down to multiple schools related to the FBI investigation. The NCAA has been sending out notices of allegations to various schools, and the standard timetable would make it appear that rulings could come down in the late spring or early summer months. Could there be further fallout in terms of coaches being on the chopping block? And if so, would Beilein be a candidate for the resulting vacancies?