Juwan Howard Releases Reaction Following Michigan Firing

On Friday, the University of Michigan made a change to its men’s basketball program by parting ways with head coach Juwan Howard after five seasons.

In a final statement, athletic director Warde Manual referred to Howard as “among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program”. However, the statement stated that the initiative was not meeting objectives and was “not trending in the right direction.”

Following the news, Howard published a statement on Sunday, praising the school and everyone involved, including Manual. He emphasized the program’s achievements during his five seasons as head coach, while also expressing gratitude to his family, Wolverines players, and staff during the 2023-24 season, despite ongoing health issues.

Thank you, Coach Howard 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/POingwtrJD

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) March 17, 2024

Howard, who also played three seasons at Michigan from 1991-92 to 1993-94, is unmistakably a “Michigan man forever,” as he stated.

He took over as the program’s head coach ahead of the 2019-20 season and led them to a 1912 record. Howard’s best season came in 2020-21, when the team went 23-5 and reached as high as No. 2 in the country. Michigan won the regular season and proceeded to the NCAA tournament, but lost to UCLA in the Elite Eight.

Under Howard’s leadership, Michigan made the tournament twice, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2022 before losing to Villanova 63-55. Howard coached 159 games at Michigan and finished with an 87-72 record.