When did Juwan Howard have heart surgery? Exploring Michigan HC's health condition
Juwan Howard is in the midst of his fifth season as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. The one-time NBA All-Star missed the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season after undergoing heart surgery on September 15, 2023. The procedure was done to remove an aortic aneurysm and repair his aortic valve and had a recovery timeline of six to 12 weeks.
Howard made his return on December 16 as the Wolverines defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles by a score of 83-66. During his absence, Michigan held a 5-5 record, led by assistant coach Phil Martelli. Despite the strong performance on his return day, they are currently 8-15 on the season.
The Wolverines were able to defeat the No.11-ranked Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 72-68 on Wednedsay, Feb 7. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak. Juwan Howard is reportedly on the hot seat and Michigan, who are just 3-9 in Big Ten play, ranked last in the conference, will likely need to turn things around for him to remain in place.
What did Juwan Howard say about his heart surgery?
Following his return against the Eastern Michigan Eagles, Juwan Howard commented on his heart surgery, stating, in part:
"It’s a blessing, truly a blessing. I have to thank God, first, also giving a big, big shoutout to University of Michigan Medical, my doctors, Dr. Patel and his crew, the nurses... Also I’d like to thank my wife. That’s the best nurse that I have."
"I didn’t know that she went to medical school, but she was with me from the first day, all day... I had so many people supporting me. And I never second-guessed that, but that’s what got me through the process."
He added:
"I’m just so happy that I found the problem because I’ve been stubborn, I’ve been an athlete before and we’ve been taught to really suck it up when there’s pain that you feel. Or if you’re out of breath, take a deep breath and keep pushing yourself. "
"And there was a time when I was out of breath and I’m like, 'Okay, well I know how I’m supposed to feel and I’m not feeling normal.' And I’m just so happy I was not stubborn at the moment. I asked to set up a doctor’s appointment and with that, finding something that really scared me.
"I had no idea of what I was truly facing because basketball has been my life, but to hear open heart surgery. And I was like, ’Okay, well bring it on.’... After the surgery was over, I was like, ‘Whoa.’ I felt like I had got hit by a Mack truck. And it took some time, 15 days in the hospital, 15. And with those 15 days, I got a chance to reflect on how badly do I want this, to get healthy."
Juwan Howard has made a full recovery after his operation. Overall, he has led the Michigan Wolverines to an 87-63 record during his five-year tenure leading the program.