Michigan basketball is still somehow sticking with head coach Juwan Howard
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke with reporters earlier this week and expressed another vote of confidence in head basketball coach Juwan Howard.
Michigan is 8-17 this season, including an abysmal 3-11 in Big Ten play. The program was in the Elite Eight under Howard just three years ago, but it has since fallen to 19-15 in 2021-22, to 18-16 in 2022-23, then to this year’s disaster.
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More specifically, the Wolverines only have two wins dating back to December 19. The program is 2-12 in that span, only with home victories against Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Despite the free-fall, Manuel seems to be sticking with Howard:
“It would be fair to say I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” Manuel said to reporters this week. “It’s one of those things that — I guess I can’t say it any clearer; I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. And so my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.”
I was taught years ago that a coaching job or hire is best judged by the thoughts of the program’s rivals — where if fans of the rival want a coach to stay in place, that likely means a move should be made. That’s how Badgers fans should view Howard, separate from his incident with Greg Gard from two years ago. The longer he stays in place at Michigan, the better it is for the rest of the Big Ten.
Things have gotten really bad for the Wolverines. One should wonder how bad it needs to get before change is necessary.
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