Michigan dismisses Juwan Howard after 5 seasons

Michigan is parting ways with head coach Juwan Howard after five seasons, the school announced Friday.

"After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men's basketball coach," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. "Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program. I know how much it meant, to not only Juwan, but to all of us for him to return here to lead this program.

"Despite his love of his alma mater and the positive experience that our student-athletes had under his leadership, it was clear to me that the program was not living up to our expectations and not trending in the right direction. I am thankful for Juwan's dedication, passion and commitment to U-M and for all that he, and his legacy, will continue to mean to Michigan."

The Wolverines will be on the hook for Howard's $3-million buyout, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Howard went 8-24 overall this year as the Wolverines mustered just a 3-17 Big Ten record during the regular season. They then crashed out of the conference tournament in the first round with a 66-57 loss to 11th-seeded Penn State on Wednesday.

Michigan hadn't finished with three or fewer conference wins in a single season since also coming last in the 1966-67 Big Ten campaign when it went 2-12 (8-16 overall).

After undergoing a heart procedure Sept. 15, Howard missed the first 10 games of the campaign before returning to Michigan's bench ahead of its Dec. 16 victory over Eastern Michigan.

The 51-year-old was tabbed in May 2019 to succeed John Beilein, who had recently jumped to the NBA to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers. After going 19-12 in his first campaign charge, Howard followed with his best season back at Michigan, steering the program to a 23-5 record - 14-3 in the conference - and finishing the regular season as the fourth-ranked team as voted by coaches. He was named the Coach of the Year that year by The Associated Press, Sporting News, and Big Ten.

Despite losing to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament that year, the Wolverines were named a No. 1 seed for March Madness, during which they progressed to the Elite Eight but were defeated by 11th-seeded UCLA. They made the Sweet Sixteen the following year - their only other NCAA Tournament berth under Howard - but fell to Villanova.

Howard's tenure has also been scrutinized for interpersonal conflicts. In February 2022, he was suspended for the rest of the season and fined $40,000 for punching Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft in the face while in the postgame handshake line. This past December, he reportedly had an altercation during practice with then-strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. Howard escaped punishment for that reported incident, though Sanderson eventually left the program before joining Illinois Thursday.

On Jan. 15, Howard was joined by his former "Fab Five" teammates at the Wolverines' arena for the first time since they played together at Michigan in the early 1990s.