BALDWINSVILLE — When the Baldwinsville boys basketball team returns to the court for practices in November, a new coach with a familiar last name and plenty of experience in Central New York hoops circles will lead them.
Patrick Beilein was chosen by the school district to succeed Mike Lewis, who coached the previous four seasons and was 6-16 last winter, though in 2019-20 the Bees, led by Notre Dame recruit J.J. Starling, reached the Section III Class AA final before falling to Corcoran.
“Coach Beilein brings with him years of success in coaching at various levels and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our Hive,” read a statement from the Baldwinsville Central School District.
In hiring Beilein, B’ville hopes the magic of his family legacy can help the program find consistent success.
Patrick’s father, John Beilein, went from Upstate New York to national success coaching at West Virginia and Michigan, twice leading the Wolverines to the NCAA Touranment championship game in 2013 and 2018.
Before all that, though, John got his coaching start at Newfane High School, located 45 minutes north of Buffalo, before he went to Le Moyne College and then the Division I ranks.
Getting his turn to coach at Le Moyne in 2015, Beilein would, in four seasons, compile a 77-41 record and lead the Dolphins to three NCAA Division II tournament appearances.
Based on this success, Beilein was hired at Niagara University, not far from where his father coached at Newfane, in the summer of 2019, only to step down a month before the season began and get replaced by former Christian Brothers Academy great Greg Paulus.
