Michigan’s Juwan Howard Throws Punch At Wisconsin Assistant Following Loss

Howard was upset after the Badgers called a timeout in the final seconds of a 14-point win.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Feb 20, 2022 5:40 PM EST

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard threw an open-fisted punch at Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft following a 77-63 loss Madison on Sunday afternoon.

Howard appeared upset after Badgers head coach Greg Gard called a timeout with 15 seconds remaining in the game, then the two exchanged words in the postgame handshake line, with Howard pointing his finger in Gard’s face.

While being pulled away from the situation by his own players, Howard swung his right arm and connected with Krabbenhoft’s face. Pushing and shoving between the two teams ensued, with Michigan forwards Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams and Wisconsin guard Jahcobi Neath also appearing to throw punches.

During his press conference a few minutes later, Howard did not apologize for throwing the punch. Instead, he admitted he was upset with the late timeout and felt he needed to protect himself after being touched by Gard in the handshake line.

"Someone touched me, and I think it was very uncalled for, for them to touch me, as we were verbalizing and communicating with one another,” Howard said. “That's what escalated it.”

Gard, meanwhile, said that he called the timeout to give his team 10 seconds to get the ball across half court and that he stopped Howard in the handshake line to explain that to him.

“I said, ‘Hold on, let me explain to you why I took the timeout,’” Gard said. “Maybe he doesn’t know the rule that you get the 10 seconds reset. I wasn't going to put my players in that type of situation to break a press in four seconds coming stiff cold off the bench.”

The Big Ten issued a statement on Sunday afternoon that said it was aware of the altercation and that the conference will “provide more information and will take swift and appropriate disciplinary action when it completes its review.”

This isn’t the first altercation between Howard and another coach, as he and former Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon got into a heated argument on the sideline during last season’s Big Ten Tournament, leading to his ejection from the game.

As for what kind of punishment Howard could receive, The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn reported the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy only allows commissioner Kevin Warren to impose a two-game suspension and $10,000 fine, though Michigan could work in concert with the league office to issue a longer suspension.

The Wolverines have five games remaining during the regular season, and a lengthy suspension could keep him out of their trip to Columbus on March 6.

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