John Beilein Could Coach Against Michigan

The college basketball season just ended for some teams and already coaches are being served their walking papers. In the Big Ten, some changes are already taking place. Indiana has parted ways with Archie Miller and it's being reported that Minnesota is going to move on from Richard Pitino. A familiar name is being floated as the potential new head man for the Hoosiers.

John Beilein.

Michigan's most revered coach just spent the season breaking down the sport he loves on the Big Ten Network, but there are plenty of teams who would love to have him roaming their sideline. Earlier this year, Beilein's name came up as a potential candidate for the open Boston College job, but these new openings in the Big Ten are much more intriguing and likely enticing for Beilein since he has so much experience and had so much success in the league.

Beilein led the Wolverines to a 278-150 record during his 12 seasons in Ann Arbor. He and the Wolverines won two Big Ten regular-season championships and two Big Ten tournament championships. He also helped Michigan play in two National Championship games. He was also the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2013-14. The fans loved the way his teams played and his players loved playing for him. He also earned a reputation for bringing in under-recruited guys like Caris LeVert, Nik Stauskas and Duncan Robinson and turning them into legitimate NBA players. The dude is a legendary coach and would almost certainly turn any program into a respectable one.

There are a few hangups from a program's perspective when it comes to hiring Beilein. One is that he's 68 years old. That's up there for a coach to start a rebuild, which is what he'd be doing at Indiana or Minnesota. Another is how Beilein recruits. He was very successful with his approach at Michigan, but at Indiana he'd likely be expected to bring in high-profile players and make them into key members of a nationally relevant team in a hurry. He's definitely capable, but how much time would he get and how would he be asked to do his job in the seedy world of college basketball? After all, Archie Miller wasn't exactly a pillar of moral decency.

Beilein would be a great hire for literally any program. He wins, he does it the right way, he develops players and he's great with the media. He really was a beacon for Michigan and it was a real bummer when he left for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Obviously Juwan Howard has turned out to be an absolute home run hire for U-M, but losing Beilein was a sad day for Michigan fans.

With that said, seeing him coach against Michigan would be weird, painful and unfortunate. Not only would it be incredibly strange to see him on the opposing sideline, he's a damn good coach and would likely be a thorn in the side of Howard and his teams. He might not stick around long enough to create a powerhouse because of his age, but I for one hope he doesn't end up coaching against the Wolverines.