University of Michigan fires Juwan Howard after five seasons coaching men’s basketball

ANN ARBOR—Michigan fired coach Juwan Howard on Friday after five seasons, parting ways with the former Fab Five star whose return to his alma mater included two trips to the NCAA Tournament before a concerning decline the past two seasons.

Howard finished with an 82-67 overall record at Michigan. His team was just 8-24 this season after an 18-16 effort last year that earned the Wolverines an NIT bid — a far cry from the 2021 and 2022 seasons that took Michigan to the NCAA tourney. He was The Associated Press coach of the year in 2021 after winning the Big Ten Conference regular-season title.

“After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men’s basketball coach,” athletic director Warde Manuel said. “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.”