John Beilein only experienced one season of Billy Ball, but he liked what he saw.
Beilein said Eastern Michigan is getting in Billy Donlon a coach who never stops evolving, and a coach who is resilient as can be ― traits that could pay dividends in this new era of college athletics.
“First off, he’s a lifetime learner,” Beilein said of Donlon. “He’s just really good in every area.”
Donlon, 49, was named the next head men’s basketball coach at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, capping a search that officially lasted a little over a week. Donlon comes with nine years of head-coaching experience, at Wright State and Kansas City, two places where he found significant success, if not reaching the ultimate goal of making the NCAA Tournament.
He comes to Eastern Michigan from Clemson, where he’s been associate head coach for three years. Donlon is staying with Clemson through the NCAA Tournament. Clemson plays Iowa on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
Donlon spent one season on staff at Michigan under Beilein, in 2016-17, when the Wolverines made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Oregon, 69-68. At Michigan, Donlon took on multiple hats, including recruiting.
“He just has a great personality. He understands defense, he’s a hard worker and he finds players,” Beilein told The News this week. “He just finds them. That will be the thing that will really stand out.
“He’ll be able to get guys from who knows where.”
At Eastern Michigan, Donlon takes over for Stan Heath, whose contract wasn’t renewed after five seasons, including four losing seasons (and one .500 season). The Eagles were 10-21 this past season.
Eastern Michigan hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1998, the longest Division I drought in the state.
Donlon was head coach at Wright State from 2010-16, making three Horizon League championship games, but losing all three. He once was Horizon League coach of the year. He once won 23 games, then a program record.
After a year on staff at Michigan and three on Chris Collins’ staff at Northwestern (near Donlon’s hometown of Northbrook, Ill.), he was named head coach at Kansas City. There, he won 19 games his last season, the program’s most in 30 years.
“UMKC, are you kidding me?” Beilein said of a program that recently hired former Maryland head coach Mark Sturgeon. “That’s not an easy place to coach. … He’s good as a head coach, he’s a great assistant.”
Donlon has a head-coaching record of 155-133.
He’s also been an assistant coach at Wright State and UNC Wilmington, his alma mater (both of those under current Clemson coach Brad Brownell), as well as St. Peters and American.
Donlon specializes in defense and guard play (his position in college), and Beilein suspects he will maneuver efficiently in this era of the transfer portal and revenue sharing. Eastern Michigan, while exact NIL resources aren’t known, does have an engaged booster group, through GameAbove, and facilities that are very competitive in the Mid-American Conference.
Donlon, who received a six-year contract at Eastern Michigan that will pay him at least $400,000 a year, will be realistic but also relentless, Beilein said.
“He’s more accustomed to it (the new era) than if I went into it, because it’s a different world. You have to understand, if you have a really good player, he may transfer,” said Beilein, 73. “I think his goal will be, I know, to create a family culture there that people don’t want to leave unless the money is so big, the NIL is so big, that they can’t turn it down. Billy is so resilient and when that happens, will be like, ‘OK, I will find another guy,’ and he will coach up the ones that he has in the program.”
Donlon is waiting for his introductory press conference at Eastern Michigan before doing any interviews. He will stay with Clemson as long as it’s still in the NCAA Tournament.
With Donlon hired, eyes might turn to another of Beilein’s former assistants, Saddi Washington, who is believed to be a leading candidate at his alma mater, Western Michigan. Washington, 50, was on staff at Michigan for eight seasons, including three under Beilein, and now is on Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State.
Beilein said he believes Washington ― who turned down the Western Michigan job six years ago and also had talks with WMU about the job four years ago, when it went to longtime Izzo assistant DJ Stephens ― is ready to take that next step. Donlon and Washington were on staff together at Michigan. Donlon didn’t have any discussions with Western Michigan, which is set to open a new $500-million arena in 2027.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: John Beilein on Eastern Michigan’s new coach: He’s a winner, ‘lifetime learner’
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
