CLEVELAND — Even with a recent NBA championship under their belt, the Cavaliers have had seven head coaches in the last 11 seasons (including one two different times). With the latest having barely gotten his feet wet, it appears they could soon be looking for yet another one.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst, John Beilein is considering resigning as the Cavs' head man before the team plays its next game Friday night in Washington, D.C. The NBA is currently in the midst of its weeklong All-Star break, and the 67-year-old has apparently used the time to discuss his feelings with the club's front office.
"He has yet to make convey a decision, but there's been conversation with management about the option of a prompt exit," Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter. It is unknown at this time if Beilein would be making this decision on his own volition, or if team officials are forcing his hand.
Following a successful 37-year stint in the college game (notably with Michigan, whom he led to two Final Fours), Beilein was hired as the 19th full-time head coach in Cavaliers history in May of last year. The move was a bit of a surprise due to Beilein's relatively advanced age and lack of NBA experience, but the team banked on his ability to develop young players in the NCAA, and rewarded him with a five-year contract.
Beilein and the Cavs got off to a 4-5 start to the season, but the bottom has since fallen out: They are currently an Eastern Conference-worst 14-40, and are one of the most ineffective defensive teams in the league with opponents shooting 49.2% from the field. While they did win their last game on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, they had dropped six straight before that, including a 133-92 drubbing against the Los Angeles Clippers that stands as the worst home defeat in franchise history.
What's more, Beilein has struggled to adapt to the professional game and has had issues connecting with his players. A report from The Athletic back in December indicated Cavs players were "unhappy" with the new coach and his tactics, and often ignored him in favor of assistants like J.B. Bickerstaff. All-Star Kevin Love has also visibly displayed his frustrations on and off the court, even verbally unloading on general manager Koby Altman during a practice.
However, the most notable incident came just after the start of the new year, when Beilein referred to the team as no longer playing "like a bunch of thugs" during a film session. The coach later claimed he had meant to say "slugs" and was not even aware of the faux pas, and players publicly accepted his apology. Still, the episode made national news, and exemplified the obvious friction in the locker room.
The Cavs have not had a head coach lead the team for three full seasons since Byron Scott from 2010-13. Since Scott's firing, the lineup has been as follows:
- Mike Brown - 2013-14 (33-49 record, fired after first season of second stint with team)
- David Blatt - 2014-16 (83-40, fired midway through second season despite having best record in East)
- Tyronn Lue - 2016-18 (128-83, won NBA championship after replacing Blatt but was fired six games into last season)
- Larry Drew - 2018-19 (19-57, "mutually parted ways" after season)