The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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should afford us the ability to compete for championships regularly," Brandon noted. "That's all you can ever ask in that sport. "If you have the right two kids get hurt, if you lose a player you were counting on really early to the pros — which has, unfortunately, become a very integral part of college basketball — things can change. It can really put a coach and a program in a position where you take a step back." At the same time, he's not expecting the winter Wolverines to disappear anytime soon. "For anybody to say we've got a program to the point where we're going to win the championship every year or going to be in the Final Four every year, it doesn't happen," he cautioned. "But what I do believe has happened is that the recruiting pipeline that we have, the facilities we have to provide, and the coaching talent we have associated with that program, in combination with the momentum that has been created by the last two or three teams — the excellent performance we've seen, the leadership we've seen from the seniors — when you put all that together, Michigan men's basketball should be competing for championships on a regular basis. It should create a lot of excitement for our fans and should provide an enormous number of opportunities for the young men who participate in that program." Beilein turned 60 in February, and he's under contract through 201516. Brandon assures he's ready to talk, should the head coach want to extend his stay at Michigan beyond a decade. "John Beilein has multiple years left on his existing contract," Brandon noted. "I've made it really clear that if and when John decides he wants to work longer, there is nothing more I'd like than for him to make sure those years are spent at the University of Michigan. "We have a great coach, and he's put together a great staff, and the program is really in a good place. I'm hopeful that John is going to be here for as long as John wants to coach with great enthusiasm, great intensity and with great enjoyment." The question arose in football not so many years ago — continuity versus a national search for a head coach, once the decision to retire eventually does come down. Brandon's background features all sorts of experience in succession planning, and he doesn't mind discussing the process. Getting ready for the next step before it's necessary is always on his mind, Brandon insists. He took Michigan football back to the future, in some ways. What happens with Michigan basketball remains to be seen, but listening to the AD, it's clear he is not averse to keeping matters in house with a program that's rolling. "Whenever you have a change of leadership, you take risks," Brandon noted. "You have the risk of, will the new leader be successful? You have the risk of, will the new leader change the culture in a way that's positive, or could it possibly be nega-