Cavs, JB Bickerstaff agree to long-term contract
Chris Fedor: #Cavs have agreed to a multi-year contract with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, league sources tell @clevelanddotcom
NBA Rumor: Cavaliers Coaching Search
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The Cavaliers will return from the All-Star break with their first practice on Wednesday, when many team officials and coaches expect to have the Beilein cloud behind them, sources said. They are widely expected to promote associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to replace Beilein. He would be the Cavs sixth coach in the past seven seasons.
Cavaliers hiring John Beilein as head coach
University of Michigan coach John Beilein has agreed to a five-year contract to become the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, league sources told ESPN. Beilein reached a deal with the Cavaliers on Sunday and informed Michigan’s administration of his decision to leave for the NBA on Monday morning, sources said.
Beilein, 66, has been entertaining thoughts about the NBA for several years and had detailed discussions with two franchises a year ago — Orlando and Detroit — before deciding to return to Michigan. Beilein didn’t want to move his wife that far from Michigan, and the Pistons borderline playoff roster with little financial flexibility to make changes made staying in-state less appealing. Cleveland’s rebuild status, based on point guard Collin Sexton and a 14 percent chance — along with New York and Phoenix — to earn the No. 1 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery were appealing to Beilein.
Joe Vardon: The Cavs’ next coach is Michigan’s John Beilein, league sources said.
Jeff Goodman: John Beilein to the Cleveland Cavs, sources confirmed to @stadium. This does not completely surprise me. Remember, Mike Gansey is the No. 2 guy in the Cavs organization … and played for Beilein at West Virginia.
Jeremy Woo: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert went to Michigan State and has tried to hire Tom Izzo in the past. Asst GM Mike Gansey played for Beilein at West Virginia. Michigan’s player development has long been held in high regard by NBA types. With Poole/Brazdeikis likely gone to pros, all adds up.
Rick Bonnell: Beilein’s offensive mind will be a good fit to the NBA. Guessing he welcomes getting out of the recruiting cesspool. Will be interesting how he adapts to coaching pros.
The Cleveland Cavaliers moved closer Saturday to completing a first round of candidate interviews for the franchise’s head-coaching job, league sources told ESPN. Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and members of his front office met separately with several assistant coaches in Denver on the eve of Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, including Denver assistants Jordi Fernandez and Wes Unseld Jr. and Portland assistant David Vanterpool, league sources said.
The Cavaliers also interviewed Orlando Magic assistant Steve Hetzel in Denver on Saturday, sources said. The Cavaliers had received permission to interview another Trail Blazers assistant, Nate Tibbetts, but scheduling conflicts will push that meeting until after the Blazers-Nuggets Western Conference semifinals series ends, sources said. The Cavaliers interviewed San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina in the past several days.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Orlando assistant Steve Hetzel interviewed for the Cleveland coaching job today, league sources tell ESPN. Hetzel has been with Steve Clifford in Charlotte and Orlando, but initially worked for Cavs as a video coordinator and G League head coach.
Fernandez, now 36 and an assistant on Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s bench, is one of four candidates to be the next Cavaliers coach who used to work inside the organization. … Sentimentality isn’t going to have anything to do with whom Cleveland general manager Koby Altman hires as his coach, but if it did, Fernandez would be a shoo-in. “We are so pumped for him just to be mentioned as a possibility of that happening,” said Brown, who coached the Cavs from 2005-2010, again in 2013-14, and is now the Warriors’ chief assistant. “Cleveland would be, in my opinion, foolish to not hire him because he brings so many things to the table.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka will interview for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job this weekend, league sources tell ESPN.
Nearly three weeks after dismissing head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Grizzlies have officially begun the process of finding his replacement. And the first candidate known the Grizzlies have brought in could provide a clue as to what the team is looking for in its next head coach. Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen interviewed for the Memphis Grizzlies job on Tuesday, according to league sources and The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Regardless of the direction the Grizzlies decide to commit toward next season, Jensen appears to be a capable fit. Jensen is also interviewing for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ opening, league sources told The Athletic.
Jensen, who has been with the Jazz since 2013, is regarded as a tactician who played a major role in developing star center Rudy Gobert. The Jazz won 25 games during his first season. Five seasons later, Utah is coming off three consecutive 48-plus win seasons and playoff berths. If hired by the Grizzlies, one of Jensen’s primary tasks will be developing big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who is entering his second season and is viewed by many within the organization as a franchise centerpiece.
Alex Jensen interviewing for Grizzlies coaching job
Tony Jones: Utah Jazz assistant Alex Jensen interviewed today in Memphis for the vacant Grizzlies head coaching job, league sources tell @Omari Sanfoka II and myself. Jensen is also expected to interview in Cleveland this week, league sources say
Cavs interviewing JB Bickerstaff yoday
Joe Vardon: J.B. Bickerstaff is interviewing with the Cavs for their coaching vacancy today, sources tell me and @Shams Charania. Utah assistant Alex Jensen will interview with the Cavs this week.
Sarunas Jasikevicius on Cavs' radar?
Koby Altman of Cleveland’s Cavaliers watched the game between Zalgiris and Fenerbahce that ended with the victory of the Turkish and his goal in the arena was to talk to Sarunas Jasikevicius.
“It is wonderful to be in this arena. The atmosphere here is incredible. Do we want something from Zalgiris? I can’t reveal (smiles). Maybe. We will look at what we can do,” Altman told a reporter.
Sarunas Jasikevicius: “I always say that it will be hard getting me out of here. May need to kick me through the door with both legs, unless it’s something amazing. A coach’s life is definitely not easy and I realized during the short time I coached. For me as a coach it’s very important how the people around me support me.”
Tony Jones: and myself: The Cleveland Cavaliers have sought and received permission to interview Utah Jazz assistant Alex Jensen. He is expected to interview next week, sources say
Sirius XM NBA: Former #Grizzlies HC J.B. Bickerstaff tells @talkhoops, @Mitch Lawrence , & @Sarah Kustok that he’s “definitely interested” in the #Cavs head coaching opening #BeTheFight
January 26, 2021 | 8:02 pm EST Update
Andrew Greif: Whole Clippers staff is wearing these “Kobe” masks tonight. pic.twitter.com/W9QSqJTEZz
Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on the Knicks’ defensive strength: “Their size, first of all, starting with the rim protection. … And then their size across the rest of the frontcourt and their backcourt. When you do drive the ball and you get in the lane, they make it hard for you.”
