Michigan Basketball: Examining 5 potential fits for head coach

When it comes to finding the next head coach of Michigan basketball, there is no shortage of candidates. So here is a look at five options and how they fit.

Being the head coach of Michigan basketball may not be Duke or Kentucky. But if you look at the way the Wolverines have won, if you look at their resources and how much the school wants to win, it’s one of the better jobs in college hoops hands down.

Calling Michigan basketball a blueblood might be a stretch. But saying the Wolverines have evolved into a legitimate powerhouse, at least within the Big Ten, is no stretch at all.

Michigan shared the regular-season title in the Big Ten in 2012 and won it outright in 2014. The Wolverines also finished a game short in 2013 and 2019, while also winning the tournament title in 2017 and 2018.

On top of that, Michigan played for the Big Ten tournament championship four times, losing twice to Michigan State. So in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Michigan either won or played in a game to win a Big Ten championship.

Then if you look at all the NCAA tournament wins — the two Final Fours and the two title game appearances, as well as the back-to-back 30 win seasons and the 11 players leaving early for the NBA draft, Michigan has all the ingredients of a college basketball powerhouse.

Michigan basketball even has the Michael Jordan Jumpman logo and the Maize Rage fan section that is surpassed by few others.

Under John Beilein’s guidance, the Wolverines made the Sweet 16 in five of the last seven years. Now, the search is on to find his replacement. The search, still in its early stages, seems to be casting a wide net, but here is an in-depth look at five candidates (not all) that are trending now among the rumor mills, reports and message boards.