Michigan Head Coach Juwan Howard Suspended For Rest Of Regular Season

Howard will miss five games, including the regular-season finale at Ohio State on March 6.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Feb 21, 2022 7:09 PM EST

As first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard will be suspended for the rest of the regular season for his actions in Sunday’s 77-63 loss at Wisconsin.

Howard was noticeably upset when Badgers head coach Greg Gard called a timeout with 15 seconds remaining and the two exchanged words in the postgame handshake line, with Gard grabbing Howard’s right arm in an alleged attempt to explain himself.

At that point, Howard grabbed Gard’s shirt and pointed his finger in Gard's face. As players attempted to separate the two coaches, Howard threw an open-fisted punch and connected with the face of Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.

Gard later said he called the timeout to give his team 10 seconds to get the ball across half court. Howard, meanwhile, did not apologize for his actions and said he felt the need to protect himself after Gard grabbed his arm.

Howard will miss a total of five games due to the suspension, including home games against Rutgers on Feb. 23, Illinois on Feb. 27 and Michigan State on March 1, as well as at Ohio State on March 6.

The Wolverines are currently 14-11 overall and 8-7 in Big Ten play, good for eighth in the conference.

The Big Ten later confirmed Wetzel's report, noting Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel “proactively” addressed the situation by issuing Howard’s five-game suspension. He was also fined $40,000.

Gard was fined $10,000 for his actions, while Michigan forwards Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams and Wisconsin guard Jahcobi Neath were each suspended for one game after they appeared to throw punches.

“Big Ten Conference coaches and student-athletes are expected to display the highest level of sportsmanship conduct,” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement. “Our expectation is that the incident yesterday will provide our coaches and student-athletes with the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that demonstrates decorum and leadership on and off of the court.”

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