Former Michigan basketball coach John Beilein joining Detroit Pistons as senior advisor

After 12 seasons as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team and a brief stint leading the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, John Beilein is back and heading to Detroit.  

The Detroit Pistons have hired Beilein as senior advisor/player development, league sources confirmed to the Detroit Free Press. Beilein was spotted in the stands at multiple Pistons games this past season, and the move marks his official return to the NBA after departing the Cavaliers 54 games into his inaugural season in 2019-20.

Beilein is best known locally and nationally for his time with Michigan from 2007-2019, a stretch in which he became the school's winningest coach. He led the Wolverines to two national championship game appearances (2013, 2018), two Big Ten Tournament championships (2017, 2018) and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. Renowned for his recruiting, 11 players were drafted into the NBA during his tenure. 

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Prior to Michigan, Beilein had stops at West Virginia, Richmond, Canisius, Le Moyne, Nazareth College, Erie Community College and Newfane High School in New York. 

Beilein resigned from his position with the Cavaliers in February 2020, following a difficult season which saw the team go 14-40 under his watch. 

Marc Stein with the New York Times initially reported that Beilein has been hired by the Pistons. 

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.