During the 1997–98 season, A third Beilein player was named conference player of the year in six seasons when Jarod Stevenson was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year. The posted its first winning season since 1993. The Spiders entered the 1998 CAA tournament as the third seed in the nine-team conference. The team won the tournament, earning the school a 1998 NCAA Tournament selection, its first NCAA tournament berth since 1991. He won his fourth Coach of the Year award that season. This one was for the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" Virginia Coach of the Year. Beilein was selected for the award over Charlie Woollum of William and Mary who beat Beilein for the CAA coach of the year award. During the NCAA Tournament, Richmond, which was seeded 14th upset the South Carolina team in the first round of the tournament. The Spiders lost their second game in the tournament to the Washington Huskies team. Beilein's career NCAA tournament record was 1–2.