WVU Basketball Update 6/22: Search Continues for New Head Coach Amid Rapid Speculation

A haze surrounds the state of West Virginia basketball entering the end of June. Here’s an update through Thursday of what’s going on with the rumored candidates.

Update (2:50 p.m.)-

One potential stopgap option for the Mountaineers is former WVU head coach John Beilein. The 70-year-old Beilein most recently coached the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2019-20 season after leaving Michigan. Beilein guided the Wolverines from 2007-2019 before departing for the NBA. He manned the Mountaineers program for five seasons from 2002-2007 and twice reached the NCAA Tournament.

The WVU faithful are grasping at straws and attempting to find the possibility that Beilein could be en route to Morgantown, including a flight tracker from Pontiac, Michigan. He compiled a 104-60 record in 164 total games.

pic.twitter.com/vtH3GtoZFV

— The Smoking Musket (@smokingmusket) June 22, 2023

Update (8:00 a.m.)-

UAB head coach Andy Kennedy is shutting down speculation he will leave the Blazers for West Virginia. Kennedy tweeted the rumors are fake news and #JustBlaze in reference to questions that he would depart UAB.

Don’t be a 🐑 … #FakeNews✔️#JustBlaze 🐉🏀🔥🔥

— Andy Kennedy (@CoachAK13) June 22, 2023

The program lost 68-61 to North Texas in the NIT Championship. UAB (Conference-USA) reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022 as a No. 12 seed and fell to Houston in the first round (in Pittsburgh).

UAB’s Andy Kennedy Addresses WVU Rumor on Twitter