The vacancy left by John Beilein has opened up a prime opportunity for a coveted job as the next head coach of the Michigan men’s basketball program. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that some of the people oddsmakers favor to land the job are names you’ll recognize.
Bovada released a new set of odds for the position of next Michigan head coach. Among them, Texas Tech’s Chris Beard and former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino are favored to land the job.
Here’s a look at the full list, with odds included:
- Chris Beard +275
- Rick Pitino +475
- Juwan Howard +500
- LaVall Jordan +800
- Mike White +800
- Saddi Washington +950
- Luke Yaklich +950
- Bob McKillop +2000
- Bobby Hurley +2000
- Jay Wright +2000
- Johnny Dawkins +2000
- Kevin Keatts +2000
- Porter Moser +2000
- Shaka Smart +2000
- Steve Wojciechowski +2000
It’s not surprising to see Beard atop the list. His leadership at Texas Tech was on full display during this past NCAA Tournament when the Red Raiders got to the championship game, losing to Virginia. For his efforts, he inked a six-year deal just last month.
That Pitino is among the favorites is also not surprising. He is tied to any major open position these days.
Juwan Howard and Bobby Hurley are both intriguing options. Howard has been an assistant for the Miami Heat since 2013 and has been tied to some of the open NBA head-coaching jobs this spring. Hurley has done a solid job building up Arizona State’s program the past few years, getting the Sun Devils to the tournament the past two years running.
Whomever Michigan signs to be its next coach will face tremendous expectations. Beilein won two championships with the Wolverines and left some massive shoes to fill.