Michigan basketball coach John Beilein defers athletic director questions to U-M President Mary Sue Coleman
9 Comments. Comment Now
ANN ARBOR - Michigan basketball coach John Beilein may be on the committee to select the next athletic director at the school, but he’s not going to talk about it.
When asked at his pre-Old Spice Classic press conference Tuesday, Beilein deferred all questions to school President Mary Sue Coleman, saying she will be the voice of the group.
Michigan head coach John Beilein shouts instructions from the sidelines to his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Houston Baptist.
AP photo
“That’s as far as I’m going to say about that committee,” Beilein said. “That’s an agreement that we all have on us addressing that.”
On Monday, Beilein was named to the committee along with executive vice president Timothy Slottow, managing director of the Life Science Institute, Liz Barry, faculty athletic representative Percy Bates and Teresa Sullivan, the executive vice president for academic affairs.
Jed Hughes, a former assistant coach for Michigan football and a headhunter for consulting firm Spencer Stuart is heading the process along with Coleman.
The committee is searching for a replacement for Bill Martin, who announced his retirement last month, effective in September, 2010.
At Big Ten media day last month, Beilein said he’d like to see the school hire an innovator who can build on what Martin has done.
He also said he’d want someone who will try to have Crisler Arena, the university’s aging basketball facility, renovated.
“You’d like somebody that said ‘OK, we’ve got that now. Let’s not stop it. We’ve got to continue to be leaders and the best in all those areas,’” Beilein said from Chicago last month. “And then he’s someone who is also going to stay up on the cutting edge of how, just like your bosses have to stay on the cutting edge, everything’s changing.
“By the minute, everything is changing. Someone who is ready to adapt.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Get the Ann Arbor RSS Feed
The King or Barwis (or both) should be the new AD.
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
Happy Thanksgiving to the Great Faction (tater, myself, etc.)
Miserable Factions One (crybabies) and Two (turncoats) are this year's turkeys.
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
University of Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich is a wonderful candidate! He has taken all Louisville sports programs AND facilities to previously unattained heights!
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
we all should give thanks to Cullen C for commin to mich he gonna be a good 1..gj recruiting guys
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
I wish I could get back the time it took for me to read this article. I would use it to cancel my account with this site.
Beilein is an awesome coach though. Go blue! The bucks are going to lose against the ducks, because they suck.
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
Ed Pastilong is the current WVU AD?
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 24 2009
Seeing Crisler Arena referred to as an "aging baskeball facility" makes me feel really old. I was there for the Cazzie Russell "put your hand in a bucket of water" dedication speech. It would be nice to fly back up to Michigan and walk into a modernized Crisler Arena, though.
AFAIC, they have already made the most important reconfiguration: the Maize Rage section. I wish they would do a maize rage section for students at the Big House. I would give them the seats between the forty yard lines with seniors getting the rows closest to the field through freshmen getting the rows on top.
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 25 2009
I think putting the students closer to the sidelines of the football field would be a great idea. With all of the new upgrades at the stadium that would be one that could make a difference on the field.
Also, Happy Thanksgiving to ALL! No matter what side of the RR argument we are on, we are all Michigan fans and blessed that we don't have overwhelming worries in our lives and can therefore spend our time and energy worrying about Michigan football.
Go Blue!
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 25 2009
I wouldn't want to lose him as a coach but Beilein is a class act and would make a great AD. He represents the U of M well.
(Flag this Post)
Posted Nov 25 2009