John Beilein’s tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers is expected to be a brief one.
The Athletic reported on Sunday night Beilein is not expected to remain as the Cavaliers’ head coach beyond this season. ESPN took that a step further, saying there have been talks about Beilein stepping down during the All-Star break.
Reporting with @WindhorstESPN: Cavaliers and John Beilein have discussed possibility of him stepping down as coach during the NBA All-Star Break. No decision’s been reached. After signing 5-year deal to leave Michigan, Beilein’s struggled w/ transition to NBA.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 17, 2020
Woj says Beilein is weighing his future and considering stepping down.
The Cavaliers are 14-40 and entered the All-Star break with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. This is Beilein’s first season as an NBA head coach after his successful stint at Michigan.
There have been talks about issues with Beilein working as an NBA coach since December. A report at the time said players did not like the way Beilein was operating the team like a college program. There was another moment when Beilein received negative publicity in January when he inadvertently called his players “thugs” instead of “slugs.”
J.B. Bickerstaff, who is currently an assistant coach with the Cavs, was mentioned as a possible replacement if Beilein were to step away. Bickerstaff has served as an interim head coach in Houston and Memphis previously.
