LEWISTON, N.Y. — As Patrick Beilein walked through the doors at the Gallagher Center, he said he had goosebumps not just because he was about to be introduced as Niagara's head coach, but memories from his childhood also came rushing back.
"This gym was packed when my dad was coaching at Canisius playing Niagara and we're going to get it back there I promise you," Patrick Beilein said in his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
Decades later, he's in the spotlight at the Gallagher Center as Beilein starts his first career Division I head coaching job after spending the last four years at Division II Le Moyne.
"Coaching is coaching. I feel very prepared going forward and our team will be prepared so whether it's going against a guy like my dad it's still coaching in the end and I feel confident," Beilein explained making the jump to Division I.
His career is starting to mirror his dad's a little bit. John Beilein spent time coaching Le Moyne from 1983 to 1992 and then got the job at Canisius when he was 39. Patrick Beilein is 36 and now joins the MAAC just like his dad did.
"People sometimes ask does your dad overshadow you as you take this new job and my response is I want my dad here. I want him to experience this with me and I want to experience it with him. I love having him here and for him to come back and take the time with my mom we look forward to it. It's family time," Beilein said.
"I really thought this was a no brainer for him and for the university but they had to decide that and I was just keeping my fingers crossed that he could do this because I love Niagara University, I love the MAAC, I love the level of play that's here so I think it's a win-win for everybody," John Beilein said.
John Beilein grew up in Niagara Country in Burt so Patrick still has a lot of family in this area.
But Beilien has his work cut out for him trying to turn around this program that has had a tough stretch over the past few years. Niagara has only had one winning season since 2013 and finished in a three-way tie for last place in the MAAC this year.
"Yeah it's going to take some time but the things off the court are going to be huge, getting our guys to represent the university in the way it should be represented and I'm not saying it hasn't been that way I'm just saying we're going to do it a different way," Beilein said. "That will lead to success on the court. We're going to build this program back to a championship where we are playing meaningful games in March."