John Beilein
By George Von Benko

In the old television series "Mission Impossible" Mr. Phelps had the option of accepting an impossible mission. It gives you an idea of the task facing new West Virginia University basketball coach John Beilein.

Beilein wasn't even the first choice for the job or second or third for that matter. WVU first courted Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins a West Virginia alumnus. But when Huggins didn't heed the call to return home they pursued several other options before hiring Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich. He lasted only eight days before resigning and returning to the Falcons.

Enter Beilein who isn't hung up on the fact that he wasn't WVU's first choice.

"Not one bit, Beilein stated. "I look at it like when were recruiting. We'll go out and we will look at a hundred point guards over a summer. We're going to choose three or four that we're going to recruit and sometimes it's just by happenstance that one kid gets the first offer. Not because you think he's better than the other ones. It's just that it seems that's the best opportunity to sign that particular person at that time. The best player might be first kid or it might be the fifth kid. It might be a kid that you said no way. I see it just like recruiting. I'm thrilled they turned to me and I know we're very confident we're going to make it work."

Beilein had tremendous success at Richmond where he won 100 games in five years and led the Spiders to one NCAA tournament and four NIT appearances. Prior to the Richmond job he compiled an 89-62 record at Canisius.

He enters a messy situation. Longtime coach Gale Catlett enjoyed great success during the 1980's and early 90's but he resigned after the team posted an 8-20 record (1-15 in the Big East Conference) last season. The Mountaineers were 49-66 under Catlett the last four seasons. The team was rife with disciplinary problems. The program also might face NCAA sanctions for alleged violations involving freshman Jonathan Hargett.

Hargett was the eye of the storm as far as the discipline problems. He missed the team bus to the airport on the first trip of the season to play in a tournament at New Mexico and he also missed a team meal on that trip. Former coach Gale Catlett said repeatedly that last year's team was the worst team he ever dealt with in practice during his long career.

Despite all the problems Beilein took on the challenge.

"First of all just the fact that I spent four of the happiest years of my life at Wheeling College - now known as Wheeling Jesuit," Beilein said. "I mean those were four great years that I made great friends and got to know the state of West Virginia while playing all through the WVIAC and I loved it.

"It was really in my first meeting with the athletic administration and President Hardesty that right away I felt a great connection with them and it made me feel comfortable."

Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins had some harsh words about his alma mater after turning them down. Huggins that his decision not to depart for West Virginia came in part because of concerns WVU wasn't yet nationally competitive.

"I think there's certainly a lot of things that have to happen at West Virginia to get it to that point," the UC coach said in an interview on WAJR-AM in Morgantown, W.Va.

"To be in the upper echelon, you have to act like you're upper echelon," Huggins said. "I'm not saying they're not committed to that. Certainly they're working to that end. But they're not there now, and I think they're aware of that."

Beilein feels he has the necessary support to get the job done in Morgantown.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have come here if I didn't believe that. I know that there is a commitment here that will allow me to have the resources to put West Virginia at the top of the Big East. As I've said before if you're at the top of the Big East you're one of the best teams in country. I'm very confident we have that and it's going to take hard work and luck and a great deal of patience, but we're going to do it."

Beilein is encouraged by his first meetings with players still left in the program.

"I think that day by day we're becoming more acquainted with each other, Beilein stated. "I sense that I built relationships with the players right now that will allow us to lead them in a positive direction. We've gotten a very positive response from many of them and they know that it will be a no nonsense operation as far as their commitment to academics as well as their commitment in training and on and off the court."

The discipline problems that permeated last year's team were well documented and helped hasten Gale Catlett's departure. Discipline will be a cornerstone of the WVU program.

"I've been 28 years as a head coach," Beilein explained. "And I think if there is one common denominator among all my teams it would be their discipline. I see no reason to stop that we've had some success with that approach, but you discipline in many ways and sometimes the discipline is very positive. Anyone who receives a scholarship to go to West Virginia University is a very fortunate young man and we want to make sure that during their time here they represent the university in the right way. They have to sacrifice and they have to work very hard. The kids that we have here now will represent the university in that way and our future recruits will reflect that as well."

A change in leadership usually means player defections and Beilein recently lost one of his few inside players when center Chris Garnett requested and was granted a release from his scholarship. He plans to transfer to another school.

Garnett, a 6-10 junior from Decatur, Ga., appeared in 24 games for the Mountaineers during the 2001-02 season, starting twice. He averaged 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. The loss of Garnett leaves WVU thin in the post with the tallest player being 6-10 in coming freshman Kevin Pittsnogle. That is not the way to go to war in the Big East with a limited inside game.

Beilein also addressed the possible NCAA violations, which have hung over the program like a dark cloud.

"Any adversity that I've faced as a coach has been helpful to me. Whatever the conclusions are about the allegations we'll just rise above it and it may take time and the university is going to give that type of time. We're going to fight through what ever happens. We're just prepared to take each day as it comes and do the best we can with it."

West Virginia University submitted to the NCAA a report of alleged rules violations involving the men's basketball program on June 21st and then declared four players ineligible.

The two-month investigation came to an end with the four players declared ineligible including freshman guard Jonathan Hargett, who, along with his mother, was accused of taking payments from an unnamed "mentor" hoping to become his future agent. The payments were said to have been made both before Hargett enrolled at WVU and after he arrived.

None of the players involved were named in the report made public by athletic director Ed Pastilong but Hargett has admitted to being the subject of the investigation while declaring he had done nothing wrong.

The violations involving the other three players were deemed minor by Pastilong, who says he will ask the NCAA to reinstate those players.

The new WVU staff got a late start in recruiting, but Beilein feels they can still bring in some players.

"In today's recruiting it's never too late, Beilein opined. " You'll find transfers or late qualifiers and you'll be able to get kids throughout the summer. But we're not going to take bodies right now. We're going to try and find good players, but make sure that each one is a real solid citizen at this point. That's very important that we bring in the type of players that are going be low maintenance off the court and high energy on the basketball court."

Beilein is looking for players who are versatile and can shoot. His team's traditionally take very good care of the basketball. He wants players who will execute within a system.

The challenge of winning in the Big East is a daunting one.

"It's a huge challenge," Beilein said. "But that's what I love about this opportunity that I have, especially with a last place team in the Big East. I know how crazy that sounds. It's going to be very difficult for us to improve in a hurry, but I think we can take it day by day and do a little bit and we'll gradually climb up the Big East ladder – I hope."