The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired J.B. Bickerstaff as associate head coach, ESPN reported Sunday.
The former Memphis Grizzlies head coach had talked with multiple teams about lead assistant roles, but Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman convinced him to help former Michigan coach John Beilein as he transitions to the NBA bench, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bickerstaff, 40, was 48-97 in two seasons with the Grizzlies. He also served as interim head coach of the Houston Rockets in 2015-16, posting a 37-34 record after replacing Kevin McHale.
Bickerstaff has also been an assistant coach with the Charlotte Bobcats (2004-07), Minnesota Timberwolves (2007-11), Rockets (2011-15) and Grizzlies (2016-17).
Since he was fired by Memphis last month, Bickerstaff had talked with the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings about their lead assistant roles.
Beilein, who signed a five-year contract with Cleveland on May 13, has never coached in the professional ranks. He coached at Michigan from 2007-19, leading the Wolverines to two Final Four appearances and four Big Ten titles (two regular season and two tournament championships).
--Field Level Media
