NCAA Basketball | Juwan Howard has stepped down as Michigan’s males’s basketball coach after 5 seasons.

Juwan Howard is not going to return as Michigan’s males’s basketball coach subsequent season after a tumultuous season that included off-court drama and disappointing on-court outcomes.

Michigan athletic director Ward Manuel made the announcement Friday, thanking Howard earlier than saying “it was clear to me that this system was not assembly our expectations and was not trending in the correct path.”

In Howard’s fifth season, Michigan was 8-24 and 3-17 within the Huge Ten. The 24 losses have been probably the most for Michigan in a single season, surpassing a 10-22 mark in 2007-08, the primary yr of the John Beilein period.

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“Juan is without doubt one of the best Wolverines to ever be related to our basketball program. I do know what it means to have him lead this program, not only for Juan, however for all of us,” Manuel mentioned in asserting this system. “Regardless of his love for his alma mater and the optimistic expertise our student-athletes had below his management, it was clear to me that this system was not assembly our expectations and was not trending in the correct path. I’m grateful for Jovan’s dedication, ardour and dedication to UM and for all that he and his legacy will proceed to do for Michigan.

A Michigan legend, Howard starred for the Fab 5 and performed 19 seasons within the NBA. He was employed in 2019 after Beilein left to educate the Cleveland Cavaliers, and led the Wolverines to quick success, together with a Huge Ten championship and a visit to the Elite Eight in his second season. . After lacking the NCAA Event final season, the Wolverines completed final within the Huge Ten this yr, shedding 14 of their final 15 video games.

Howard’s fifth season was difficult and disjointed from the beginning. Assistant Phil Martelli served as Michigan’s appearing head coach for the primary 10 video games after Howard underwent coronary heart surgical procedure on Sept. 15 to deal with an aortic aneurysm and restore his aortic valve. can do On December 7, three days earlier than returning to go teaching duties, Howard had a run-in with power and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, who resigned on March 1 after 15 seasons at Michigan.

In an e mail to athletic director Ward Manuel Athletic, Sanderson wrote that he intervened when Jace Howard, Jovan’s son and group captain, was “berating” a group coach. Sanderson wrote that Juwan Howard “grew to become offended and able to struggle, and the 2 needed to separate.

The human sources overview didn’t lead to disciplinary motion for Howard or Sanderson. Sanderson didn’t return to his function with the boys’s basketball program and was primarily working with Olympic sports activities earlier than reaching an settlement with the college.

Howard’s expulsion got here after the college positioned him on a zero-tolerance coverage following a brawl after a February 2022 recreation at Wisconsin. After a 77-63 loss on the Kohl Heart, Howard exchanged phrases with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard within the postgame handshake line, resulting in a scuffle between the 2 sides. Within the midst of the disturbance, Howard hit Badgers assistant coach Joe Kirbenhoft within the head.

“Someone touched me, and I believe it was very pointless for them to the touch me, as a result of we have been verbal and speaking with one another,” Howard mentioned on the postgame information convention that day. “That is what raised it.”

Manuel referred to as the incident “unacceptable conduct” and the Huge Ten suspended Howard for the ultimate 5 video games of the 2021-22 common season and fined him $40,000.

The altercation in Wisconsin was not Howard’s first.

In a 2020–21 common season recreation towards Maryland, he and Terps coach Mark Turgeon bought right into a verbal altercation in Ann Arbor. When the 2 met once more later within the Huge Ten Event, the rivalry grew. Howard and Turgeon certain the phrases from reverse sides of the ground till they have been so shut to one another that they needed to cease. Howard was issued a double technical foul, ejected and carried off the ground. (Turgeon obtained a technical.) In accordance with an individual concerned within the matter, the official report from the incident filed with the Huge Ten workplace states that Howard yelled at Turgeon, “I will kill the king.” ” Howard was almost suspended for the following day’s Huge Ten Event recreation towards Ohio State, however then-Huge Ten commissioner Kevin Warren overturned the choice, in line with individuals conversant in the matter at each Michigan and the league workplace. Modified.

Howard left Michigan after finishing the third yr of a five-year contract that paid him $3.4 million yearly with a $3 million lump-sum buyout to terminate with out trigger. Michigan was 87-72 with two NCAA Event appearances throughout a tenure in Ann Arbor that started on a tear (a 3rd was probably ended by the cancellation of the 2020 match).

Howard’s hiring was a treatment for previous NCAA violations and a messy break up between Michigan and its most well-known group, the Fab 5. “I am again to assist proceed the gorgeous tradition that was right here earlier than me, and — each time that day comes — after me,” Howard tearfully mentioned at his introductory information convention.

This was the start of a large job to fill. Howard replaces Beilein, this system’s all-time winningest coach, who left for the NBA after 12 seasons and two Last 4 appearances at Michigan.

Surrounded by the questions of being a first-time head coach, Howard instantly gave the impression to be a perfect match. He received his first seven video games and led the Wolverines to a top-five rating only one month into his first season. That first yr ended with the Wolverines ending in the course of the pack within the Huge Ten earlier than the 2019-20 season ended.

Learn like a storybook subsequent yr. Howard was the darling of the school basketball world, main Michigan to the Huge Ten common season title and a No. 1 seed within the NCAA Event. The Wolverines have been upset by UCLA within the Elite Eight and completed 23-5, however Howard established himself as one of many high new faces in NCAA basketball. Rumors swirled of curiosity from NBA groups in Howard as a head teaching candidate this offseason, however he rapidly shrugged these off and dedicated to remain at Michigan. On the time she had one son, Jess Howard, at school and enrolled, and one other son, Jett, was on the best way.

Michigan prolonged Howard’s unique contract in November 2021, growing his wage from $2.2 million to $3.2 million and including two years, extending the deal by means of 2025-26.

As it could prove, the following season represented the start of a gradual slide. The Wolverines reached the Candy 16 in 2021-22, however did so after coming into the NCAA Event as an 11-seed that opened with Michigan because the Huge Ten favourite and No. 6 within the preseason AP ballot. however got here

Excessive preseason expectations got here once more in 2022-23, however a poor nonconference schedule and an 11-9 Huge Ten document weren’t sufficient to earn this system an NCAA Event bid. The Wolverines needed to exchange two NBA lottery picks from that group in Kobe Buffkin and Jett Howard, along with star middle Hunter Dickinson, who transferred to Kansas.

The present Michigan season has gotten off to an excellent begin, with the Martelli-led Wolverines successful three straight to open the yr, together with wins over Rick Pitino and St. John’s at Madison Sq. Backyard. The Wolverines have been 6-5 on Dec. 16 however went 2-19 the remainder of the season.

(Picture: Kirk Irwin/Getty Pictures)