The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703389
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Coach Billy Donlon Michigan head coach John Beilein and new assistant coach Billy Donlon, previously the head coach at Wright State, have known each other for years, and now they're working to- gether. Donlon spoke with The Wolverine after Beilein hired him to replace Bacari Alexander, now the head coach at the University of Detroit. The Wolverine: When did Coach Beilein con- tact you once it was clear you might be avail- able? Donlon: "Coach Beilein was one of the first five people to call me after [Wright State] let me go. That's the kind of guy he is. "Like any time we talked, we might have spent three minutes on the actual job of it and then talked basketball or life for another hour." The Wolverine: When did you first get to know Coach Beilein? Donlon: "We competed against each other when I was a player [at UNC Wilming- ton] and he was coaching at Richmond … my first 10 years out of college I got into college coaching, then an opportunity presented itself for me to play in Europe. I eventually started playing for a team in Germany where a former player of his, Greg Stevenson, was my teammate. "Coach Beilein came over. He was there a couple days, we had lunch and a dinner, and that's really kind of where it began a relationship … and we always stayed in touch. We would run into each other occasionally … we would talk. He's just an amazing person, obviously a phenomenal basketball coach. He devours his day like it's his first day on the job." The Wolverine: How has it been recruiting for Michigan in the early going of your tenure? Donlon: "Great. The factors are very simple — it's the University of Michigan. There's no other place in our country that you can attend and earn your education that has a greater significance than Michigan. That's special. Certainly it's a place where almost all of the athletic programs have been successful, but football and basketball have been very successful. Elite. That really helps. "Coach Beilein, what he's done over his career with players like Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson, Tim Hardaway, Manny Harris, Trey Burke … less than one percent of guys go to the NBA, but you think about all the guys he's had and that doesn't Donlon led Wright State to at least 19 wins in four of his six seasons as head coach and finished with a 109-94 overall record. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS Sitting Down With New Assistant Basketball