New WVU Coach Friend of WVU Libraries

     On a sunny Thursday morning the week after finals, there was a lull across campus. Students fled campus for summer break or the job search, and summer classes had not yet begun.

     But WVU's new men's basketball coach John Beilein was at his desk with a full calendar. He had just returned to Morgantown from a successful recruiting trip and had several phone calls and meetings waiting on him.

     Only a few weeks on the job, he had his energies focused on building a team for the upcoming school year and organizing a summer camp for young basketball hopefuls.

     On the corner of his desk was a copy of In Harm's Way, an account of the U.S.S. Indianapolis' fateful mission during World War II. A bookmark was planted in the middle of the book.

     Beilein tore through much of the paperback during the plane ride the day before, but it appeared that day would offer little time to delve into the pages.

     Reading is the reservoir he heads to for replenishment.

     "It gets me away from the stress of being a basketball coach," Beilein said. "You need to go into a different world sometime, to get away from basketball if you're going to be good at coaching."

     Beilein, of course, reads all the books penned by star athletes and coaches, but he's also a fan of John Grisham and enjoys anything that involves history or personal development. His wife recently bought him Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antartic Explorer.

     About a dozen or so books from an array of genre stood on a shelf in his office, and several dozen waited in boxes to be unpacked and join them.

     "I've got so many books," Beilein said. "During heavy travel periods, I always have a book with me."
The avid reader also understands the importance of libraries to academics.

     He remembers spending several hours studying in the library at Wheeling Jesuit College during his stint as a student athlete.

Rather than his dorm room or a coffee shop, he found the library to be the ideal place to study. He appreciated the limited distractions and knew the resources he needed were there. Also present were librarians who answered his many questions and pointed him in the right direction.      "I've always asked for help," Beilein said. "I've never been great at using the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature."      Though he's only caught a glimpse during a tour, Beilein is impressed with the libraries on campus, especially the new Downtown Campus Library.      "The library will always be on our list of stops when we show people around campus," Beilein said. "From what I can see, it's really going to be a place we want to showcase in our recruiting."      WVU hired Beilein this spring to replace retiring basketball Coach Gale Catlett.      If you want a good picture of the new coach, recall that high school teacher who sparked your interest in a particular subject.

Men's Basketball coach John Beilein: Friend of the Library.

     Remember the teacher who made you study hard and asked a lot out of you because he knew you had it in you? Remember the teacher who beamed when you got excited about a topic and did more than assigned?

     That's Coach Beilein.

     After graduating from Wheeling Jesuit College in 1975, he spent three years coaching basketball and teaching history at a high school in New York.

     "If I were to get out of coaching today, my first thought would to be get into a situation where I could make a difference - probably in seventh, eighth, ninth or 10th grade teaching U.S. history," Beilein said.

     "I love to teach. I guess I love to see people learn and develop."

     Almost 25 years since standing in front of a classroom, he still holds the philosophies that made him a good teacher and uses them to make himself a good coach.

     As a teacher, Beilein explained, his greatest lesson was that people learn at different rates. He brings that understanding to the court. It's shaped the way he interacts with the men on his team.

     "Your players are no different than a 7th grade social studies class," Beilein said. "You have to use different methods to teach because everyone learns differently."

     Teaching and coaching also taught him the importance of patience and that many times anger inhibits development. These points are integral to his method of coaching a game.

     He said a misconception exists that fiery tempers motivate players. He laughs when he hears comments suggesting he must have really yelled at his players at halftime to push them to play better in the second half. In a 27-game season, he estimates he's yelled five times. Instead, he considers halftime a time to teach.

     "There are times you have to raise your voice, but that's got to be the exception as opposed to the rule," Beilein said.

     Yet, Beilein believes in being stern, especially when it comes to academics. He stresses academics as the central reason college athletes are at WVU.

     He expects everyone on the team to attend every class and to be on time in all that they do. He's not requiring perfection, but he pledges immediate consequences for those who are not responsible.

     "Thirteen of our guys are going to WVU for free and that's a privilege," Beilein said. "We're going to make sure they understand that privilege."

     Beilein and his wife, Kathleen, have one daughter, Seana, and three sons, Patrick, Mark and Andrew.

Ex Libris is published quarterly by the WVU Libraries
P.O. Box 6069 Morgantown WV 26506-6069
www.libraries.wvu.edu
(304) 293-4040