Michigan fires coach Howard after 8-24 season

Juwan Howard changed into once fired as Michigan‘s males’s basketball coach Friday, the college introduced, ending a five-twelve months flee in Ann Arbor for the ragged Fab Five member.

Michigan just executed one in every of its worst seasons in 60 years, ending final within the Mammoth Ten for the first time since 1966-67. The Wolverines lost their final 9 games, in conjunction with Wednesday’s Mammoth Ten tournament defeat to Penn Disputeto enact 8-24 overall and 3-17 within the conference.

“After a comprehensive evaluate of the program, I even indulge in decided that Juwan will no longer return as our males’s basketball coach,” athletic director Warde Manuel stated in a press launch. “Juwan is with out doubt some of the finest Wolverines to ever be linked with our basketball program. I do know how much it intended, to no longer only Juwan, however to all of us for him to return right here to lead this program. Despite his esteem of his alma mater and the sure expertise that our student-athletes had beneath his leadership, it changed into once particular to me that the program changed into once no longer residing up to our expectations and no longer trending within the finest route. I’m thankful for Juwan’s dedication, passion and commitment to U-M and for all that he, and his legacy, will continue to imply to Michigan.”

Michigan owes Howard $3 million, sources suggested ESPN.

Howard underwent a scheduled heart draw in September to resect an aortic aneurysm and restore an aortic valve, forcing him to omit the initiate of Michigan’s season. He returned to the bench through the Wolverines’ time out to the Bahamas for the Wrestle 4 Atlantis as an observer sooner than transitioning to an assistant coach role for two weeks. Sooner than he returned as head coach, he changed into once taking into consideration about an incident at discover with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, an altercation for which he shunned any self-discipline.

He officially returned to the bench as head coach on Dec. 16 towards Eastern Michigan. After beating the Eagles to enhance to 6-5 on the season, Michigan won just two games the relaxation of the attain.

While Howard’s time at Michigan led to disappointment, he confirmed predominant promise early in his college coaching profession. Employed in 2019 to interchange John Beilein, who had left for the Cleveland CavaliersHoward guided the Wolverines to a 19-12 file in Year 1 and would indulge in long gone to the NCAA tournament had it no longer been canceled thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year 2 introduced Michigan’s first NCAA tournament No. 1 seed since 1993, as Howard and the Wolverines won their first Mammoth Ten usual-season title since 2014. They made a flee to the Elite Eight sooner than falling to UCLA by two elements. Howard had Michigan help within the Candy 16 the next season, despite an underwhelming 19-15 overall file.

Howard changed into once suspended for five games in February 2022 for hitting Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft within the face after a game. All the contrivance thru the postgame handshake line after Wisconsin’s 77-63 gather, Howard and Wisconsin coach Greg Gard exchanged words sooner than being surrounded by players and coaches. In the ensuing scrum, Krabbenhoft exchanged words with Howard after which Howard reached out and struck Krabbenhoft’s face.

Issues began to switch downhill final season. Despite having All-American Hunter Dickinson and two first-spherical NBA draft picks in Kobe Bufkin and Jett HowardMichigan uncared for the NCAA tournament after losing its final three games to enact 18-16 overall.

In Howard’s five seasons on the helm, Michigan went 87-72.

A ragged celebrity recruit who changed into once a member of the famed Fab Five, Howard earned All-The usa honors and helped lead Michigan to support-to-help national championship games. He spent 19 years as an NBA player, a success two NBA championships with the Miami Warmth and being selected as an All-Star in 1996. Following his retirement, he changed into once an assistant coach for six seasons with the Warmth.