No, Juwan Howard Is Not On The 'Hot Seat'
The final game of Michigan Basketball's regular season served as the perfect microcosm for how the year has gone for Juwan Howard and the Wolverines. Closing out the regular season against Indiana in Bloomington, Michigan looked dominant and in control at certain points in the game. At other times, Michigan looked confused and completely overmatched. In the end, the Wolverines squandered a golden opportunity to either tie the game or win it in overtime - leading to another painful loss.
For some, Michigan's 14th loss of the regular season fueled a growing belief that Howard isn't the right man for the job. Critics of Howard point to a mismanagement of the roster rotation, inadequate in-game adjustments, and a nagging habit of drawing up the wrong play when the game is on the line. In addition to the in-game issues, critics also point to instances where Howard has allowed his emotions to get the best of him - most notably in 2022 during an ugly altercation in Madison involving a Wisconsin assistant.
While some of the criticism of Howard is warranted, the idea that he should be replaced at this point is ridiculous.
Through his first four seasons in Ann Arbor (so far), Howard has an overall record of 78-46 - including one conference championship (2021), three straight appearances in the Sweet Sixteen and one appearance in the Elite Eight. As a comparison, former Michigan head basketball coach John Beilein's first four seasons included a record of 67-67, zero conference championships, and zero trips to the Sweet Sixteen. While some will say that Howard inherited a very different program from the one that Beilein inherited, it can also be argued that Beilein never had to deal with the additional challenges facing Howard - including a COVID year, NIL and the transfer portal.
In spite of those challenges, Howard - the 2021 AP National Coach of the Year - has had a solid start to his head coaching career at the University of Michigan.
Year One: 2019-20
- Record: 19-12
- Recruiting Class: No. 9 Big Ten, No. 64 nationally
- Notable Signees: Franz Wagner
- Notes: Post-season cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak
Year Two: 2020-21
- Record: 23-5
- Recruiting Class: No. 1 Big Ten, No. 14 nationally
- Notable Signees: Hunter Dickinson, Terrance Williams, Chaundee Brown, Mike Smith
- Notes: The Wolverines were 2021 Big Ten Champions, Juwan Howard was named AP National Coach of the Year, lost to UCLA in Elite Eight
Year Three: 2021-22
- Record: 19-15
- Recruiting Class: No. 1 Big Ten, No. 3 nationally
- Notable Signees: Caleb Houstan, Moussa Diabate, Kobe Bufkin
- Notes: No. 11 seed in NCAA Tournament, lost to No. 2 seed Villanova in Sweet 16 (the second straight trip to the Sweet 16 under Howard).
Year Four: 2022-23 (current)
- Record: 17-14
- Recruiting Class: No. 3 Big Ten, No. 9 nationally
- Notable Signees: Jett Howard, Tarris Reed, Dug McDaniel
- Notes: Michigan has lost 14 games by six points or less, 4 games by three points or less. The Wolverines lost transfer point guard Jaelin Llewellyn for the year just eight games into the season. Michigan enters Big Ten tournament as a No. 8 seed and on the bubble of making the NCAA Tournament.
It remains to be seen how the 2022-23 season will ultimately play out. The Wolverines still have a shot at winning the Big Ten tournament and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament, although it feels like a longshot at this point. Even if Michigan finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA tournament, it doesn't mean that Howard should be on the hot seat.
Through four years, Howard has proven he can recruit at an elite level and that he can win big games. On the flip side, he's also proven that he still has some growing to do as a head coach - and that's okay. Former U-M coach John Beilein had 15 years of head coaching experience by the time he arrived in Ann Arbor, while Juwan Howard arrived home with precisely zero years of head coaching experience. While growing pains should be expected, patience among the fan base should be expected as well - particularly for a man who's clearly as invested in the program as Howard is.
No. 8 Michigan squares off against No. 9 Rutgers in Chicago on Thursday at 12:00 pm ET on BTN for the second round of the Big Ten tournament.
