Is Juwan Howard the Next to go?

Noteworthy comments from Juwan Howard at Michigan's team media day - Maize n Brew
Photo courtesy of Maddie Meyer/Getty Images


With other big news coming out of the Big Ten earlier with the firing of Chris Holtmann, what other coaches could, or should, be on the hot seat?


One of the more obvious choices is Michigan’s Juwan Howard. Since the turn of the calendar, Michigan is an astonishing 2-10 with wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin. Howard came to Michigan in 2019 with the hope of establishing a new ‘Fab Five.’ Outside of 2020, it has not been anywhere near the success anyone expected. 


Howard only has one season over 20 wins and a 3-2 record in the NCAA Tournament. With an 87-65 career record at Michigan, it would not be too much of a surprise if the school looked to move on. 


However, earlier today Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said he had not thought about making changes to the program, which includes the head coaching position. 


Despite a record of 8-17 this season, Manuel seems to be confident in Howard going forward as he had a similar statement back on Jan. 27. When he claimed once again, “I have not spent one moment thinking about anything but supporting Juwan and this team.” He added that it would be “rare” to make a coaching change in the middle of the season. 


How much more does Manuel need to see before a change is necessary. Last season was definitely a failure, missing the NCAA Tournament with two NBA lottery picks on your team. Then, Hunter Dickinson realized he would never win at Michigan so he decided to transfer to Kansas. 


How did Howard respond? 


He received one commitment.


Only bringing in one commitment this past recruiting cycle will simply not cut it. Howard did add three transfers in Olivier Nkamhoua, Tray Jackson, and Nimari Burnett, unfortunately for Michigan, the losses outweighed the additions. 


For the benefit of Michigan Basketball, Juwan Howard needs to bring in more recruits to make an impact. Currently, their 2024 recruiting class has three commits and ranks as the 21st-best class in the country. 


Can Juwan keep recruiting momentum, or will this collapse lead to his demise?



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