Juwan Howard Out As Michigan Basketball Head Coach
The University of Michigan is parting ways with head basketball coach Juwan Howard, according to ESPN Reporter Pete Thamel.
Howard will receive a $3 million buyout for the remainder two years left on his contract, according to The Detroit News.
Howard spent five seasons as the Michigan basketball head coach after replacing university legend John Beilein. At the time, there was general optimism around the continued success of the program because of Howard’s ties to the university. Howard was a member of the ‘Fab Five’ which played a lot role in landing the job. That optimism did not last long as the program had a downward trajectory for a large portion of Howard’s tenure.
Michigan basketball hit rock bottom in the 2023-24 season. The team finished 8-24 with a 3-17 record in the Big Ten. That was the school’s worst performance in conference play since the 1966-67 season. Michigan’s 66-57 loss to Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament put an end to the miserable season.
Howard’s failures can largely be attributed to player turnover and culture. Despite being a solid recruiter, Howard was never able to get the most out of his players while they were in Ann Arbor. Furthermore, he routinely lost impact players to the NBA Draft and transfer portal. In most years, the school had much more talent leaving than incoming.
Howard’s tenure was marked with behavioral issues. In 2022, Howard infamously slapped a Wisconsin assistant coach in a post-game scuffle. Howard also had a face-to-face confrontation with the team strength coach shortly into the 2023-24 season.
The peak of the Howard era was the 2020-21 season. A team led by Franz Wagner, Isaiah Livers, and Hunter Dickenson led the Wolverines to the Elite 8. That season ultimately proved to be a fluke as Howard failed to recapture that level of success again.
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