Michigan AD Warde Manuel changes stance on HC Juwan Howard amid poor record: Reports
Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in program history. Their 8-23 mark entering the Big Ten Tournament is the third-worst single-season mark in program history and the worst since 1960-61. While they will have the opportunity to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament, they will need to win the conference's automatic bid to avoid missing the postseason for the second consecutive season.
While Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel has been in Howard's corner throughout his tenure leading the program, his stance may be changing. New York Times best-selling author and Michigan alum John U. Bacon revealed that may no longer be the case, tweeting:
"Hearing from insiders that, while Michigan AD Warde Manuel would rather keep men's basketball coach Juwan Howard, he now seems less inclined to protect Howard's job. FWIW. We're getting pretty close to "Nobody knows anything" territory, but that seemed significant."
Bacon noted that the Wolverines failed to have a single player on any of the all-conference teams, adding:
"Related: On the just-released All-Big Ten men's basketball team, Michigan was the only Big Ten team to not place a single player on the league's first, second, third, freshman, or defensive teams. 0-for-25 spots. That's impressive, in a way."
Check out John U. Bacon's tweets on Juwan Howard's job security below:
The Wolverines will face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if it will be Howard's final game leading the team. Michigan has compiled an 87-71 record during his five-year tenure with just two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Juwan Howard claims Michigan Wolverines have 'won in a lot of ways' this season
The Michigan Wolverines' win total has dropped in each of the past four seasons after finishing 23-5 in 2020-21. Despite their 8-23 record in the regular season, Juwan Howard recently claimed the team has won in a lot of ways this season, stating:
"We're going to grind like no other this summer to work on getting better and getting back to where we've all been used to, and that's winning. But this year right here alone, we have learned a lot. I feel we have won in a lot of ways. And with that, I'm very appreciative of getting the opportunity to coach again."
He continued:
"I'd never knew if I would ever have that chance to be able to be a coach for this year. Could easily just at some point say it's important that I take care of my health, which I was and will continue to keep doing. I could have sat the season out, but that's not how I'm wired. I felt this team and the staff needed me, and I needed them, too." [h/t On3 Sports]
Howard had heart surgery in September 2023, causing him to miss the first ten games of the 2023-24 season. It is unclear if he will be back with his alma mater for his sixth season as head coach.