CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shortly after capping their miserable 19-win season, the Cleveland Cavaliers mutually parted ways with head coach Larry Drew and began a wide-ranging, exhaustive coaching search.

At that time, the Cavs said they would consider anyone. First-time assistants, retreads, college coaches. They wouldn’t rule out taking the international route. Again. That seemed the most unlikely outcome, of course, but the team’s immense respect for Sarunas Jasikevicius at least made it possible. When general manager Koby Altman was asked specifically about Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, he told reporters not to exclude anyone. All that mattered was finding the best coaches. More importantly, the best people.

Right or wrong, that’s the Cavs’ belief. If they are going to succeed, it will be their way. If they fail, it will be on their terms.

There are never any guarantees when it comes to a rebuild. Some teams are buried at the bottom for years. But the Cavs’ approach has been clear and pointed. The qualities Cleveland values most have become obvious. Age doesn’t matter. Neither does race. Same goes for gender. The coaches don’t need to have Cleveland ties either -- a silly narrative that started to form this off-season with some of the candidates being leaked.

After shocking many with their decision to hire John Beilein as head coach, the Cavs did it again by naming Lindsay Gottlieb as an assistant, luring her away from the University of California.

“I am excited to have a coach with Lindsay’s experience as a part of the new coaching staff with the Cavaliers,” Beilein said in a statement Wednesday. “Lindsay truly values and embraces player development and a culture of winning basketball habits. Her success at Cal Berkeley speaks for itself and her insight in our meetings, practices and games will hold tremendous value. After sitting with her, it was easy to see how she will connect quickly with our staff and our players, and we all benefit because of that connection. I’m looking forward to merging all of her years of experience and vision for the game with our current and future coaching staff.”

Call the next few years of Cavaliers basketball what you want. Rebuild. Renaissance. Rebirth. Tank. Whatever. It won’t be easy. It will require instilling a specific culture. It will mean battling through loads of adversity. It will be about the evolution of this young nucleus and going through the many growing pains that come with that. This challenge takes the right people, ones willing to exude patience and refrain from skipping steps. It can be a hard reality to find victories along the way when the scoreboard points a different direction.

The Cavs need people experienced in this arena. Beilein built programs in college and will try to do the same in the NBA. Gottlieb has similar credentials.

In her first season as head coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Gottlieb led the Gauchos to a 15-1 conference record and a 22-10 mark overall. She became the first coach at UCSB to win 20 games in her first season. She did the same at Cal, finishing 25-10 in her first crack at Power 5 hoops, becoming the first Cal women’s coach to hit the 20-win mark in a debut season. Prior to her arrival, reaching 25 wins was done just twice in the program’s previous 38 years. Her teams displayed the traits that will define the Cavaliers’ second post-LeBron James era. Like Gottlieb, her programs were characterized as overachievers whose sum was always greater than its parts.

Sound familiar? That’s what the Cavs liked about Beilein, who lifted Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan to new heights without McDonald’s All-Americans or five-star recruits. It’s why the Cavs fought so hard for J.B. Bickerstaff, who led an injured and overmatched Memphis Grizzlies team to 33 wins and a top 10 defensive ranking in the Western Conference. It’s why the Cavs interviewed coaches from Denver, Portland, Dallas, Miami, San Antonio and Utah. It’s why they targeted Gottlieb.

“She has an extensive track record of success and growth with her teams and players and has also been a strong culture-driver as a core part of that,” Altman said. “The more we researched and got to know Lindsay, the more we came to understand that she would be an impactful part of where we want to go as a team. Coach Gottlieb brings a depth of basketball knowledge, leadership, perspective and approach to her craft that will fit very well with our team and staff alike.”

Gottlieb doesn’t have NBA experience, unless a few guest sessions at Golden State Warriors practice count. Risk comes with the unknown. She is the first woman to jump from college to an NBA bench and Gottlieb, just like Beilein, will need a crash-course on the NBA -- scouting reports, rule changes and practice schedules, among other differences.

Because of these college hires, the Cavs’ approach may seem unconventional. But this is a forward-thinking organization that prides itself on inclusion. It’s a franchise that bets big on people.

So this is their plan -- a clear, obvious direction out of the darkness. Nearly a decade ago, the Cavs were gutted by James’ decision to leave for Miami. They didn’t recover until he came back to save the franchise and deliver on an unfulfilled promise. He left again and they completed one of the worst seasons in franchise history. That’s a nasty trend that Altman and staff are out to alter.

This time, it’s not about one player. It can’t be. It’s about culture, player development and internal growth. It’s about adding the right pieces through the draft, free agency and trades. It’s about coaching -- Beilein, J.B. Bickerstaff and now Gottlieb.

Given Cleveland’s direction, she should fit right in.

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