The University of Michigan has fired men’s basketball head coach Juwan Howard after a disappointing 8-24 season (3-17 in Big Ten), the school announced Friday.
This ends his five-year run in Ann Arbor. Michigan’s eight-win season was one of its worst in the past 60 years.
Not only did the Wolverines finish last in the Big Ten for the first time since 1966-67, but their record tied the second-worst single-season winning percentage in school history (.250).
Michigan lost its final nine games of the season, including Wednesday’s Big Ten tournament matchup with Penn State.
BREAKING NEWS: U-M Director of Athletics Warde Manuel has announced that a leadership change would be made in basketball with Juwan Howard not returning next season.
Release | https://t.co/N2QU7adNM3#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/yxDIAgkgfk
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) March 15, 2024
“After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men’s basketball coach,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement.
“Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program. I know how much it meant, to not only Juwan, but to all of us for him to return here to lead this program.
“Despite his love of his alma mater and the positive experience that our student-athletes had under his leadership, it was clear to me that the program was not living up to our expectations and not trending in the right direction. I am thankful for Juwan’s dedication, passion and commitment to U-M and for all that he, and his legacy, will continue to mean to Michigan.”
Howard, 51, finished 87-72 (.547) overall and 49-48 (.505) in the Big Ten in his five-year tenure with Michigan. The Chicago native had two years and about $7 million remaining on his contract. According to reports, he will receive a $3 million buyout.
Howard was first hired in 2019 to replace John Beilein, who had left for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Howard coached the Wolverines to a 19-12 record in his first year. The school would have qualified for the NCAA tournament had it not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Juwan Howard won AP Coach of the Year, Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2021 as Michigan coach
In his second year in 2021, Howard won AP Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year. He became the second Michigan basketball coach to earn AP National Coach of the Year honors.
He became the eighth coach in the Big Ten to win the award since it was first announced in 1967.
In 2021, Howard coached Michigan to its first NCAA tournament No. 1-seed since 1993. The Wolverines had won their first Big Ten regular-season title since 2014 as well.
🏆 @JuwanHoward wins AP Coach of the Year!@umichbball 〽️ pic.twitter.com/PRZVTPnu4o
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 1, 2021
The Wolverines made a run to the Elite Eight before falling to UCLA by two points. Howard had Michigan back in the Sweet 16 the following season, despite an underwhelming 19-15 overall record.
Furthermore, Howard underwent a scheduled heart procedure in September to resect an aortic aneurysm and repair an aortic valve. His surgery forced him to miss the start of Michigan’s season.
He returned to the bench during the Wolverines’ trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis as an observer. This was before he transitioned to an assistant coach role for two weeks.
Howard officially returned to the bench as head coach on Dec. 16 against Eastern Michigan. The Wolverines improved to 6-5 for the season after defeating the Eagles. However, Michigan went on to win just two more games.
Howard was accused by Michigan’s strength and conditioning coach of instilling a “culture of fear”
Before Juwan Howard returned as head coach, he was also involved in an incident at practice with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson.
A bombshell report on the subject matter was published by Bleacher Report on Friday.
Sanderson accused Howard of instilling a “culture of fear” within the men’s basketball program. Sanderson’s attorney, Steven Stapleton, made the allegation on behalf of his client in an email to Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel on Dec. 11, 2023.
“There is a culture of fear within the MBB (men’s basketball) program and concern for retaliation by Coach Howard that has prevented staff from coming forward earlier, but now it is time to address that abhorrent culture,” Stapleton wrote.
Sanderson’s allegations include Howard threatening to “slap the s—t” out of his son, Jett Howard, who played at Michigan last season, during a practice. One coach on the staff reportedly said he witnessed Juwan “manhandle” Jett on the court.
Stapleton’s letter cited “troubling issues within the program” and Howard “created an intolerable environment for both staff and student-athletes.”
