Michigan's Beilein will lead the Cavaliers

University of Michigan coach John Beilein has accepted a five-year contract to become the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN told sources close to the league.

Beilein reached an agreement with the Cavaliers on Sunday and informed the Michigan administration of its decision to leave for the NBA on Monday morning, sources said.

The Cavaliers used the term "crop engine" internally to discuss the possibility of hiring Beilein. He is considered one of the offensive tactics and elite basketball teachers, a coach who has never been an assistant and who has climbed all levels of basketball – coaching schools High School, Junior University, Division III, II and I. The last stage of an odyssey this earned him a college record 829-468 as being the NBA – and now Beilein is making the jump.

He led Michigan to two Final Fours and four Big Ten titles during his 12 consecutive years at Ann Arbor.

Beilein, 66, has been thinking for years about the NBA and had extensive discussions with two franchises a year ago – Orlando and Detroit – before deciding to return to Michigan.

Beilein did not want to move his wife so far from Michigan, and the Pistons playoff list leaves little room for maneuver to make the changes less appealing. Cleveland's reconstruction status, based on the leader Collin Sexton and a one in 14 chance – along with New York and Phoenix – to win the NBA's first lottery pick on Tuesday were appealing to Beilein.

He is expected to join the front office and become the Chicago owner of the lottery and combine project this week.

Beilein replaces Larry Drew, who finished last season after Tyronn Lue was sacked six times in the campaign. Lue won a title with the team in 2016, but LeBron James went on offense before last season, resulting in an accelerated rebuilding.

Cleveland's general manager, Koby Altman, had long been intrigued by Beilein, and his GM assistant, Mike Gansey, had a close relationship and track record with Beilein. Gansey played under Beilein's orders in West Virginia, moving to Elite Eight with him as a mountaineer. Owner Dan Gilbert lives and works in Detroit and, despite his loyalty to the state of Michigan, is an admirer of Beilein. Beilein was reassured – and even encouraged – by the fact that the franchise asked him to install his value system at the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers' talks went hand-in-hand with the franchise's research, which resulted in four first-round talks Saturday in Denver, sources said.

The Cavaliers intend to surround Beilein with an experienced staff of NBA assistants, sources said.

Beilein led model programs in college without scandal or impropriety. In recent years, he has become increasingly frustrated by the nature of recruiting in college basketball and the retention of the best players. The imminent loss of first year player Ignas Brazdiekis with Charles Matthews and Jordan Poole in the NBA project has ruined what could have been a contender at the national championship.

Beilein's son, Patrick, was recently hired as a coach at Niagara University, about 3.5 hours from Cleveland.