Coach John Beilein resigns because of poor relation with Cavs players

John Beilein, head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 7, 2019. /VCG

John Beilein, head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has resigned and he is the seventh one to do so at the team in 10 years. Unlike his predecessors, Beilein may not receive the 12 million U.S. dollars from the rest of his four-year contract.

"Over these last nine months, I have given my all to this organization, but after much reflection, I have decided that it is best that I step back and resign from my position as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and assist the organization in a different capacity. I am very grateful to Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman and the entire Cavaliers organization for the opportunity they have provided me," said Beilein.

Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff will take over as the interim coach.

John Beilein talks to his point guard Collin Sexton #2 in the game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., January 2, 2020. /VCG

Beilein's coaching record in Cleveland is undoubtedly disappointing – his record of 14-40 put the team 15th in the Eastern Conference. However, that was not the only reason behind his resignation. In fact, the high tension between him and the players might have contributed more to that.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Jason Lloyd and Joe Vardon, Beilein was described as a "dictator" in the Cavaliers.

During the team's film session on January 8, Beilein was reportedly describes his players as "thugs". Though he insisted he said "slugs" and apologized the next day, many players refused to accept his apology and considered Beilein's remarks "an insult" to their intelligence, one player told The Athletic.

Andre Drummond #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts in the game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, U.S., February 12, 2020. /VCG

Andre Drummond, who was traded to the Cavaliers from the Detroit Pistons, told his new teammates that the situation in the Cavaliers was "worse" than that of the Pistons.

Before entering the NBA, Beilein had a successful 12-year career coaching the University of Michigan. He led the team to nine NCAA appearances, including two finals in the 2012 and the 2017-18 seasons.

That partly explained why he experienced such a failure during his time at the Cavaliers. In the college basketball world, the head coach has the highest authority in the team and no player can ever challenge that. However, the NBA is more of players' league where being a superstar is everything. It's not a rare occurrence for players to work against a head coach they don't like, especially when the coach is unable to help the team win.