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LEV FACHER/Daily
LaVall Jordan will be the next head coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee next season.
8 — Thursday, April 14, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Jordan says goodbye to ‘M’ at end-of-season banquet
By LEV FACHER
Daily Sports Writer
A newly minted head coach,
LaVall
Jordan
walked
onto
the floor at Crisler Center on
Wednesday for
the
Michigan
men’s basketball
team’s
postseason
awards
ceremony. He made a beeline for
John Beilein and gave his former
boss a hug.
After six years on Beilein’s staff,
Jordan says he finally gets it.
“It comes at you quick, and
there’s decisions to make,” Jordan
said.
The move “26 inches over,” from
the assistant coach to the head
coach’s seat, has changed Jordan’s
perspective ever since he accepted
the head-coaching position at
the
University
of
Wisconsin-
Milwaukee last week. There’s
simply a level of accountability
at the head-coaching level that’s
impossible to envision or prepare
for, Jordan said.
So after years of trying to
understand the inner workings of
Beilein’s mind, Jordan finally got
a real glimpse inside. Though he’s
spoken with Beilein daily since
accepting the Milwaukee job, the
hug was still necessary.
Jordan will have a familiar face
alongside him as he takes over at
the Panthers’ helm. Pending a few
dotted Is and crossed Ts, Michigan
video coordinator Will Vergollo
will become one of Jordan’s first
hires.
The loss of Jordan, known as
something of a guru for backcourt
players, is a big hit to Beilein’s
staff,
which
has
remained
perfectly intact for the last six
seasons.
“In my opinion, he’s one of the
best in the business at what he
does,” said senior guard Spike
Albrecht.
In Jordan’s absence, director
of player personnel Chris Hunter
will
hit
the
recruiting
trail
alongside Beilein. In the last week,
the rest of Michigan’s staff gave
Hunter the go-ahead to actually
coach players during workouts,
and Beilein said Hunter impressed
immediately with an observation
about rising sophomore forward
Moritz Wagner’s mechanics.
Beilein
didn’t
rule
out
considering
Hunter
for
the
position, but said he’s in no rush to
make a decision.
“Measure twice so you only
have to cut once,” Beilein said,
saying that even the Pope
would have to go through a
background-check process were
he to apply for the position.
The vacancy could soon gain a
twin, as Michigan assistant Bacari
Alexander remains among the
rumored candidates for the still-
unfilled head-coaching position at
Detroit. But in the meantime, it’s
business as usual.
“He’s
going
on
the
road
(recruiting) this weekend,” Beilein
said.
In terms of players, Beilein
still
doesn’t
expect
further
attrition after Ricky Doyle and
Aubrey Dawkins announced their
departures from the program
last week, and says he’s checked
in with everybody on the roster
regarding their status for next
year.
“That’s the plan with everybody
right now,” Beilein said.
Wagner
was
among
the
players whose summer plans
were most in flux, but he appears
to have solidified them: Beilein
said Wagner will spend the early
months of summer at home in
Germany before returning for
July and August to participate
in “Camp Sanderson,” strength
coach Jon Sanderson’s famed
summer workout series.