Juwan Antonio Howard is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men’s team. He was an assistant coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association from 2013 to 2019. Howard played in the NBA from 1994 until 2013.
Juwan Howard: Fire| NBA| What happened with| Hits coach
Fire:
Juwan Howard created a brawl. He swung. Everything else is noise. Whether the Michigan coach was right or wrong — and all indications are the latter — is irrelevant. His job as a college basketball coach is partly as an educator. He’s a mentor. He’s supposed to be a leader.
He wasn’t any of those things on Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wis., after his team suffered a 14-point loss. He acted like a child. He lost his temper. He got physical with not one — but two — opposing coaches, escalating a situation that needed to be de-escalated.
NBA:
For that reason, he has to be suspended for the rest of the season, until Michigan has played its final game. He can’t be part of this program until the year is over.
Some will say that is too harsh. Others will say it’s too light. It is a warning: One more incident and you’re gone. This cannot be tolerated. In a statement, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said there is “no excuse” for what took place, which is a promising start.
What happened with:
Howard, the 49-year-old former NBA player and Michigan star, was upset that Wisconsin coach Greg Gard called a timeout in the final minute resetting the 10-second half-court clock. Michigan, down 15 points with 15 seconds left, was pressing the Badgers backups.
He let Gard know about it in the handshake line and Gard stepped in front of him to address the matter. Shortly thereafter, Howard landed what appeared to be an open-handed swing to the face of Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.
Hits coach:
After the game, Howard didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. He said he felt the “need to defend himself,” that someone — presumably Gard — touched him first. Howard is 6-foot-9. Gard isn’t anywhere close to that.
Was Howard concerned for his knees? After the initial incident, they were separated. But Howard returned to the skirmish for more, which is when he raised his right hand, leading to more punches from what looked like Michigan players.
