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Niagara head coach Patrick Beilein has stepped down from his position, he announced Thursday. Assistant coach Greg Paulus will take over as the interim head coach, sources said. "It is with heavy regret that I must inform the entire Purple Eagle nation that effective today I have resigned my position as the head men's basketball coach at Niagara University," Beilein said in a statement. "It has been a lifelong dream of mine to become a Division-I head basketball coach, but unfortunately, that dream must be put on hold. Personal reasons I can no longer take lightly have led me to step away from my dream job. Going forward, I must give singular focus to dealing with these issues, so that I can become the man that I strive to be. In time, it is my hope that I can be more open about my ongoing circumstances, but in the meantime, I thank you all for respecting my family's need for privacy and for all of your continued support." Beilein, son of Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein, was hired in March to replace Chris Casey. Patrick Beilein, 36, had been the head coach at Division II Le Moyne College since 2015, going to three NCAA tournaments. Prior to taking over the Dolphins, he spent one season as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz and two seasons as the head coach at Division II West Virginia Wesleyan. Beilein also played for his father at West Virginia from 2002 to 2006, going to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 in back-to-back years. Paulus was brought on staff shortly after Beilein was hired. The former Duke point guard and Syracuse quarterback had spent one season at George Washington and one season at Louisville after being on Thad Matta's staff at Ohio State for six seasons.
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