Juwan Howard has been fired and he will not return as the head coach of the Michigan basketball team. Howard started off his tenure with a lot of success as he won AP Coach of the Year in his second season. The Wolverines went all the way to the Elite 8 that season and they won the Big Ten regular season championship. Everything has gone down hill for Howard and Michigan ever since then, however.
The next year, Michigan made it into the NCAA Tournament, but they were a bubble team and barely squeezed in as an 11 seed. They started the season ranked very highly, and if it weren't for a couple upsets in the tournament to make the Sweet 16, that season wouldn't have been remembered so fondly by Michigan fans. Based on the expectations that Michigan basketball had coming into the season, it was a big disappointment.
Michigan then had two first-round draft picks and a former All-American on the team the following year. All three of them were obviously starters, and there was a lot of talent on the team. Juwan Howard couldn't do much with all that talent, however, as the Wolverines missed the NCAA Tournament. Michigan fans had already started to lose faith in Howard, and it made this season a make-or-break year.
This season ended up being one of the worst seasons in Michigan basketball history. The Wolverines finished the year in last place in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1960s. They finished with an overall record of 8-24, and those 24 losses are the most in school history. Michigan was not competitive at all toward the end of the season as they lost their final nine games and seven of those losses were by double digits. It was definitely time for Michigan to move on from Juwan Howard.
Now, Michigan basketball needs to find their next head coach, and they need a good hire. Wolverines fans have been thinking about potential candidates all season long. Here are three potential replacements for Juwan Howard, and one of them is someone that every Michigan fan would be thrilled about.
Dusty May
A lot of big schools that are looking for a new head coach this offseason will be taking a look at Florida Atlantic head coach Dusty May. Any time a coach has a deep tournament run with a smaller school, they are going to get a lot of attention, and Michigan basketball should be a team giving him a look. May took Florida Atlantic basketball all the way to the Final Four last season, and if it weren't for a buzzer beater, they would've played for a national championship. May is gearing up for another tournament run with the Owls, and when the offseason hits, he's going to get some phone calls.
Nate Oats
Alabama is known as a football school, but Nate Oats has done a fantastic job making them a basketball school as well. The Crimson Tide have been consistent SEC contenders in recent years, and they have made some good runs in the NCAA Tournament as well. Oats might want to stay put at Alabama instead of taking over the project that Michigan is right now, but it's definitely worth a shot for the Wolverines to take a look at him.
John Beilein
Ok, this might not be that realistic, but what Michigan fan wouldn't want to see John Beilein make a return to Michigan? He was the coach of the Wolverines from 2007-2019, and the program was not in a good place when he took over. Beilein was fantastic at Michigan and brought them to two national title games, and they were consistent contenders in the Big Ten.
Beilein left in 2019 to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it didn't work out. He hasn't coached since, but if he never left for Cleveland, he would likely still be Michigan's coach. If he wants to make a return to coaching, Wolverines fans would welcome him with open arms.
Follow Us
Subscribe