All indications when JB Bickerstaff took over as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers last month were that he was not doing so on an interim basis, and the team has now confirmed that.
The Cavs have signed Bickerstaff to a multi-year extension, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic reports.
The #Cavs have agreed to a multi-year contract with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, sources confirm to @TheAthleticCLE.
— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) March 10, 2020
Bickerstaff had previously taken over as the interim head coach of the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, so he had plenty of experience in the role. The Cavs had reportedly planned to make him their head coach eventually, but the plan came to fruition much earlier than expected after John Beilein stepped down.
Beilein was a bad fit in Cleveland from the start, as his college ways simply did not transition to the NBA. He was unable to connect with his players all season, and the situation reached a boiling point when he referred to them as “thugs” — something he apologized for and said was inadvertent. Bickerstaff has more experience in the NBA, so it is no surprise that the Cavs see him as better suited for the job going forward.
