I think @silverblue hijacked @DOTMAN’s account. Loquacious.
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To be clear, the notion that Feldman was trolling was 100% tongue-in-cheek…call it a failed joke… I would be outwardly shocked if Feldman had any context on the basketball search let alone was attempting to tie it together with that comment. So we’re on the same page there.
What it does highlight is simply that Warde is, in fact, capable of acting swiftly and decisively even while traveling. It just really bugs me that he never responded to Beilein when he knew Beilein was out looking, and it hits me in a sensitive spot because of Michigan’s historical treatment of the basketball program.
I have NO IDEA what it would have taken to keep Beilein…it was likely impossible.
My main point of contention is that Warde doesn’t know either, because he literally didn’t reply (if the reporting is accurate) to a text from Beilein suggesting they catch up, and this happened while Warde was actively aware that Beilein was talking to the NBA, and knew this was appealing to him.
Mayyyybe (probably not, but just maybe), Beilein had a simple ask for Warde (for instance, use of the private jet to go recruit Franz, just to pick a random example out of thin air) and the inability to even get a reply to his text pissed him off so much that he acted out of character for a minute there on his way out the door.
And as it pertains to his assistants, maybe I’m giving Beilein a pass where I shouldn’t, but I’d bet a lot of money Beilein was naive to the ways of Woj and assumed he’d be able to control timing of the announcement.
My paranoia that this would have mattered, as noted already, is likely unfounded, it would just be nice if the AD (and I don’t just mean Warde) routinely acted in a way that created trust rather than paranoia from alums and fans that love the basketball program as much as football. That’s all… Like I said, I’m ready to move on too.
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Just a courteous reply to a suggestion they catch up. “Roger that, John. Should we set up a call for tomorrow morning US time, or would you rather chat when I’m back in person?”. That feels appropriate.
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It seems to me that those who were upset that Warde let Beilein go were upset that Beilein was going, and have–to date–zero evidence that Warde flubbed in failing to retain him. None of us know what the cues, subtle or otherwise, really were over the past two years, though we do have a lot of indications Beilein wanted to try the NBA. I mean, the guy went to a great new higher-paying, less stressful, more creative job of his own volition! And he did it after killing himself to do right by the school for 12 years and expressing increasing frustration at the barriers.
And if someone emails you that you need to catch up, how do you usually respond? I usually give a thumbs up, something like that. You’re in innocuous limboland with that kinda stuff, being polite, indicating you don’t have time right now, etc.–no? To be upset that that Warde didn’t respond more firmly. . . I dunno. Had Beilein said ‘I’m entertaining a job offer and we need to talk. . .’
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Warde knew he was talking to the NBA and was interested, so…
I think Warde was a little taken aback when JB told him he was leaving. I’ve heard he thought their relationship/friendship was a little stronger than that, he thought Beilen would’ve been more forthcoming with what was happening and informed him a little earlier that he might be moving on.
That’s what I’ve gathered, too. But that’s a different conversation, no? I’m addressing the idea that Warde somehow screwed up.
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Coach B obviously texted Warde during dinner. Warde doesn’t work during meals. He just forgot to reply Honest mistake.
Agreed was just adding context, this came as a shock to most in the AD because of the suddenness and the person Beilein is
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I think there’s more than one person in the insider/recruiting/pay-site reporter group who believes that one of the reasons Beilein ghosted the program in a rather non-Beilein way is that he didn’t want to give Manuel a chance to talk him into staying because it would probably work. I don’t know myself, but, either way, I think in many jobs there’s stuff you do even if it’s highly unlikely to work or be necessary, because of the reward when it does or the consequences if you don’t.
Clearly though, some people like to start their analysis with the premise that Michigan’s awesome so anyone working for that institution is by extension, and others with the sense that those idiots always screw it up and will again this time. It’s reasonable to assert that the truth is closer to a happy medium of those two extremes. To that end:
Things I liked about what Manuel just did:
- Seems like no leaks; no circus.
- He moved fast.
- He looks to have balanced risks and refrained from indulging in the fantasy of continuity.
- He didn’t appear willing to hire a meh candidate and settle into mediocrity.
Things I did not like:
- No buyout. This is a standard package in a coach’s contract, clearly can be an impactful tool, and there’s no reason to suggest that this is a case in which Michigan should ignore conventional wisdom and do its own thing.
- No communication even after Beilein requested a catchup over text message; players had to request more communication during the process.
- No day-after plan.
- Oddly defensive in press conference; didn’t seem to bother getting on the same page as his new coach on the banners question, which they knew would come up.
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They had just exhausted the conversation less than a year before.
Beilein said it himself; “Only question was did they want me. Wasn’t going to drag the process out. Once it was clear they wanted me, it was done.”
How gone was Beilein? He left before confirming that the contracts for the assistants had been executed.
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On hindersight, and I have defended Warde for not having a buyout in Beilein’s contact, it might be smart to put a conditional buyout if Beilein leaves at an awkward time, at least get some financial compensation for his assistants who were left at cold.
totally legit criticism that he and Juwan should be on the same page on that question knowing that this will come up.
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Your assertion (and I have no reason to disbelieve it) that JB would leave as soon as a desirable NBA opportunity arose raises at least one new issue for me.
And that issue is, why did we not have a better list of candidates lined up?
Guys like Stevens, Donovan, Few, Jay Wright - those are complete long shots.
We went from that to Ed Cooley, Shaka Smart, and Laval Jordan - none of whom seemed like a good choice to me.
If Warde knew JB would jump at the next NBA opportunity, I would expect him to be proactive, not reactive. For example, did someone reach out to Nate Oats a year ago and say, “The Michigan job might be open next year.” They should have. I’m equally confused why we never heard Steve Prohm’s name come up. His resume is a lot better than any of the other guys on the list.
Obviously, I don’t know what occurred behind the scenes. If Warde did all those things, then I’m satisfied.
And of course it’s possible Juwan will turn out to be a great coach. I was definitely more excited about him than any of the other potential candidates who emerged (though I do think Yaklich is going to be a superstar, but I can see why it wasn’t the right time to hire him).
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Some of this stuff sure seems like grasping at straws to find something to criticize. If Warde did reach out to Oats a year earlier, what difference would that have made?
Warde said he made a list of possible candidates a year ago. No one expects him to talk about who was on it. If Oats was on it then, plenty of fans would have been critical of that. His star rose quite a bit after this season.
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Fair analysis of the +/- from the Athletic Director.
Just my guess but it would be pretty risky to put out feelers that early. Rumors would surely make recruiting difficult.
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It could have made a difference as to whether he would take the Alabama job or wait for something better.
Let me ask you this - let’s assume Warde knew, a year ago, that he was likely to have to replace JB during this offseason. If true, do you think his final list of coaches represented the best we could do?
Correct that would be an unreasonable expectation.
In what basis are you concluding that a list could be better? I haven’t seen one other than what I might be pieced together from the numerous reports from the media, most of which proved to be inaccurate.
What was Manuel’s list of candidates?
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