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NCAA Basketball: 5 potential college landing spots for John Beilein

By Brian Rauf

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 23: Head coach John Beilein of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a call during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 23, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Wizards defeated the Cavaliers 124-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 23: Head coach John Beilein of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a call during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 23, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Wizards defeated the Cavaliers 124-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 01: Jay Heath #5 of the Boston College Eagles (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

4) Boston College Eagles

Boston College would be a pretty good “retirement job” for Beilein. If he’s looking to come back to coach a team in a power conference without the burden of high expectations, the Eagles could be a good fit.

Current head coach Jim Christian has been very unsuccessful at BC, posting just one winning season in his first five at the school and has them right at .500 (13-13) this year. That has resulted in just one NIT appearance for a program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2009.

Barring a mini-miracle, Boston College is widely expected to move on from Christian once the season ends. It’s not a top-tier opening and may be more suiting for an up-and-comer rather than an experienced veteran like Beilein, but there could be some appealing things about the Eagles for him.

Beilein is from the Northeast, having grown up in New York and spent the first 22 years of his career coaching in the state. Obviously, Boston isn’t New York, but he’s familiar with that part of the country and has strong recruiting ties there.

As mentioned, it’s also a low-stress job where there isn’t an intense pressure to win now. The Eagles expect to be successful, no doubt, but they’re a fan base that will be patient with a massive rebuild and will be happy with simply being relevant. They’re still playing at the highest level of the sport in a power conference like the ACC, but this job would come without the scrutiny and many of the negative things that come with some of the more high-profile jobs on the list.

Does he want the challenges that come with coaching a struggling program that (likely) won’t compete for championships anytime soon?

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