JB Bickerstaff has taken over as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach, and it’s not on an interim basis.
John Beilein officially resigned as the Cavs’ head coach on Wednesday. Reports first emerged on Sunday night saying that Beilein and the Cavs were talking about a buyout that would lead to him stepping down, and that became official this week.
Bickerstaff, who previously took over two coaching jobs on an interim basis during the season (Houston and Memphis), was always expected to take over. But what is interesting is that Bickerstaff is taking over as head coach — not on an interim basis. That’s what Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor says.
This is the *plan* anyway. Admittedly, I shouldn't be as definitive when it comes to the Cavs haha
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) February 20, 2020
Fedor says Bickerstaff taking over as head coach in Beilein’s place was always part of the plan. The plan just came to fruition much earlier than anyone really expected.
Fedor wrote a long article that talked about how the Cavs got to the point that Beilein was stepping down during the All-Star break. The main takeaway is that Beilein was a bad fit from the start, and his college ways just didn’t work in the NBA.
Beilein’s fundamentals-first approach was not a good fit for the NBA, and he caused further issues for himself when he inadvertently referred to his players as “thugs.” Though he will remain with the organization for now, a return to college could be a possibility once the season ends and jobs open up at that level.
We have suggested some possible college jobs he could want.
