AFTER MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT:AND BECAUSE OF UNFINISHED INJURY MICHIGAN STATE BASKETBALL HEAD COACH DECIDED TO FIRE HE.
Juwan Howard, a former member of the Fab Five, is fired by Michigan after five seasons as men’s basketball coach.
(AP) ANN ARBOR, Mich. After five seasons, Michigan fired coach Juwan Howard on Friday. The former member of the Fab Five was part of the team that won a Big Ten title and advanced to two NCAA Tournaments upon his return to his alma mater before finishing with two straight disappointing seasons.
With the Wolverines, Howard had a record of 82–67 at the end, experiencing both highs and lows. He was voted The Associated Press coach of the year in 2021 after winning the conference regular season championship and coming just one win away from the Final Four.
This season, he suffered a school-record 24 losses as Michigan collapsed to a last-place Big Ten finish.
Two days after Howard’s eight-win season came to an end with a loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament’s first round, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel announced that Howard was fired without cause.
“I have determined that Juwan will not be returning as our men’s basketball coach after a thorough evaluation of the program,” Manuel stated in an official school statement that omitted Howard’s response. “Juwan is one of the best Wolverines our basketball program has ever had.”
“I am aware of the significance that Juwan’s return to oversee this initiative held for all of us. It was evident to me that the program was not meeting our goals and was not moving in the proper direction, even though he loved his alma mater and our student-athletes had a great time under his management.
