Collin Sexton Vents About Difficulty of Having 4 Coaches in 2 Years With Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton has only been in the league two seasons, but he has already experienced three coaching changes.

During an interview with Chris Haynes on Yahoo Sports’ “Posted Up with Chris Haynes,” Sexton lamented the fact that he has now had four coaches in his young NBA career.

A few weeks before the 2019-20 season was abruptly interrupted by the league suspending operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cavs replaced John Beilein as head coach with J.B. Bickerstaff.

“Oh, it was very unexpected,” Sexton said of the sudden coaching change. “Because remember, we were just on All-Star break and I just talked to Coach two days before, and he was talking about pretty much just finishing the season strong when we get back from the break.

“And when we got back, we were like, ‘Dang, he’s gone.’ It was tough just because it’s been my fourth coach in two years. When it’s like that, you don’t know what’s going to happen. But right now we have coach J.B. and he’s been amazing for us.”

Sexton’s first coach in the league was Tyronn Lue, who was fired six games into the 2018-19 season after an 0-6 start. Assistant coach Larry Drew took over and finished the season with a 19-57 record to his credit.

Beilein was a college basketball head coach with Michigan University for years before he was hired by the Cavaliers last summer. After a disastrous 14-40 record in 54 games this season, management decided to make a change.

When asked by Haynes what the difference is with Bickerstaff in charge, Sexton applauded his new coach’s energy and knowledge.

“I’d probably say just his energy and just pretty much how he understands the game,” Sexton said. “He’s been head coach before, and then an assistant. He’s been in the league and his dad has coached so he’s been around the game for a long time and you can tell he knows how the NBA teams should operate and different things like that. It’s really cool to have him because he’s a player’s coach and you can tell.”

Bickerstaff’s 5-6 win-loss record as head coach of the Cavs after 11 games indicates that the team was turning things around prior to the NBA’s suspension.

He recently signed a multi-year contract with the Cavs, which should comfort Sexton knowing that he has a coach whom management trusts to lead the team for the next few years.