Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

Michigan's basketball coaching staff will have a vacancy.

U-M assistant LaVall Jordan is the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's next coach, the school announced tonight.

Milwaukee fired 11-year coach Rob Jeter on March 17.

U-M coach John Beilein had confirmed Wednesday that his assistants had been contacted about head coaching opportunities, but was vague about how many coaches were in discussions and which ones.

“There is some interest from some other universities and I’m thrilled about it,” Beilein said Wednesday. “This is long overdue, they are really ready to be (head) coaches, the fact that we’ve been together for six years and continuity for six years, that doesn’t happen very often…. They ask me for advice all the time, a lot of people, if they have the opportunity, I think it’s wonderful. I don’t want to lose any of them. But if they have the opportunity, I think it’s great.”

Jordan was in the mix for the Butler job (his alma mater) after Brad Stevens left for the NBA's Boston Celtics in 2013, but the job went to Brandon Miller instead.

Milwaukee is part of the Horizon League, which also has Detroit Mercy and Oakland.

Jordan, who turns 37 on April 16, joined the Wolverines in the spring of 2010 after spending the previous six years as an assistant, three at Butler and three at Iowa, where he worked for former Butler coach Todd Lickliter.

Jordan got a raise in June 2014 that bumped his annual salary from $185,000 to $230,000 through the 2017-18 season. Fellow assistants Bacari Alexander and Jeff Meyer also got raises at that time. Alexander is believed to be in the running for the UDM opening.

Jordan gained a national reputation as a point guard guru almost immediately after he arrived at Michigan, turning Darius Morris into a third-team All-Big Ten player who set the program's single-season assist record. When Morris left unexpectedly after that season, Jordan brought along Trey Burke, helping Burke become a honorable mention All-American as a freshman, then the national player of the year as a sophomore.

In the years since Burke left, Jordan prepared Derrick Walton Jr. and Spike Albrecht, both who made major strides under Jordan.

Burke, Beilein, Stevens and former Big Ten player of the year and U-M star Nik Stauskas spoke glowingly about Jordan in the school's release announcing the hiring.

Jordan, who grew up in Albion, was a successful guard at Butler in 1998-2001, leading the Bulldogs to two Midwest Collegiate Conference titles and three NCAA tournament appearances.

Potential replacements for Jackson include Patrick Beilein, LeMoyne head coach and Beilein's son; former player Darris Nichols, Florida assistant; former player CJ Lee, Marist assistant; former player Chris Hunter, U-M director of program personnel; Cornell Mann, former Iowa State assistant; Saddi Washington, Oakland assistant; Jeff Smith, Central Michigan assistant; Clayton Bates, Western Michigan assistant.

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