5 potential candidates to replace John Beilein at Michigan

5 candidates to replace John Beilein at Michigan

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 23: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines shouts against the Florida Gators during the second half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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2. Saddi Washington

Washington has been an assistant at Michigan for the past three seasons, and he’s the longest-tenured assistant as Beilein reshaped his coaching staff a few years ago. As Jeff Borzello of ESPN cited, there’s a notable precedent for an assistant stepping in for a coach who departs for the NBA at a late stage (Brandon Miller replacing Brad Stevens at Butler).

Prior to joining Beilein’s staff, Washington spent a decade (2006-2016) as an assistant at Oakland, elevating to associate head coach over his last three seasons there as he gained a reputation as a strong player developer. When Beilien was recovering from double bypass surgery last summer, Washington served as interim head coach for the Wolverines (though he didn’t coach any games during that time).

Michigan has two four-star recruits (SF Jalen Wilson, SF Cole Bajema) coming in the 2019 class. In the interest of keeping them, as they’ve signed letters of intent, promoting Washington might be the best move for athletic director Warde Manuel.

But Washington also has a solid resume to back up his candidacy. If not at Michigan to replace Beilein right now, a year from now he could very well be a head coach somewhere.