Michigan fires coach Howard after 8-24 season

Juwan Howard used to be fired as Michigan‘s men’s basketball coach Friday, the school presented, ending a 5-year speed in Ann Arbor for the feeble Fab Five member.

Michigan true completed one of its worst seasons in 60 years, finishing final within the Giant Ten for the first time since 1966-67. The Wolverines misplaced their closing nine video games, at the side of Wednesday’s Giant Ten tournament defeat to Penn Declareto assemble 8-24 overall and 3-17 within the conference.

“After a total review of the program, I in actuality beget decided that Juwan is now not going to return as our men’s basketball coach,” athletic director Warde Manuel stated in a assertion. “Juwan is amongst the most appealing Wolverines to ever be linked with our basketball program. I know the blueprint a lot it intended, to now not most effective Juwan, nonetheless to all of us for him to reach right here to e-book this program. With out reference to his adore of his alma mater and the definite skills that our student-athletes had below his management, it used to be definite to me that the program used to be now not living up to our expectations and now not trending within the simply route. I am thankful for Juwan’s dedication, passion and dedication to U-M and for all that he, and his legacy, will continue to intend to Michigan.”

Michigan owes Howard $3 million, sources educated ESPN.

Howard underwent a scheduled coronary heart project in September to resect an aortic aneurysm and repair an aortic valve, forcing him to fail to see the delivery of Michigan’s season. He returned to the bench correct by the Wolverines’ day lag back and forth to the Bahamas for the War 4 Atlantis as an observer before transitioning to an assistant coach feature for 2 weeks. Earlier than he returned as head coach, he used to be taking into account an incident at observe with energy and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, an altercation for which he steer clear off any self-discipline.

He officially returned to the bench as head coach on Dec. 16 in opposition to Jap Michigan. After beating the Eagles to supply a boost to to 6-5 on the season, Michigan received true two video games the relaxation of the blueprint.

Whereas Howard’s time at Michigan led to disappointment, he showed vital promise early in his college coaching occupation. Hired in 2019 to replace John Beilein, who had left for the Cleveland CavaliersHoward guided the Wolverines to a 19-12 file in Year 1 and would beget long gone to the NCAA tournament had it now not been canceled consequently of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year 2 introduced Michigan’s first NCAA tournament No. 1 seed since 1993, as Howard and the Wolverines received their first Giant Ten frequent-season title since 2014. They made a speed to the Elite Eight before falling to UCLA by two facets. Howard had Michigan aid within the Sweet 16 the next season, despite an underwhelming 19-15 overall file.

Howard used to be suspended for 5 video games in February 2022 for hitting Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft within the face after a game. At some point of the postgame handshake line after Wisconsin’s 77-63 get, Howard and Wisconsin coach Greg Gard exchanged phrases before being surrounded by players and coaches. In the ensuing scrum, Krabbenhoft exchanged phrases with Howard after which Howard reached out and struck Krabbenhoft’s face.

Issues began to head downhill final season. With out reference to getting All-American Hunter Dickinson and two first-spherical NBA draft picks in Kobe Bufkin and Jett HowardMichigan missed the NCAA tournament after shedding its closing three video games to assemble 18-16 overall.

In Howard’s 5 seasons at the helm, Michigan went 87-72.

A feeble megastar recruit who used to be a member of the neatly-known Fab Five, Howard earned All-The United States honors and helped lead Michigan to aid-to-aid national championship video games. He spent 19 years as an NBA player, a hit two NBA championships with the Miami Heat and being chosen as an All-Star in 1996. Following his retirement, he used to be an assistant coach for six seasons with the Heat.