Juwan Howard's behavior puts long-term future at Michigan in doubt | Opinion
Given the chance to apologize, Michigan coach Juwan Howard declined. Offered the opportunity to explain his side of why he instigated a brawl after Sunday's loss to Wisconsin, Howard trotted out pathetic excuses that may have played well in the Wolverines' locker room but landed with a thud everywhere else.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard was "touching me unnecessarily," Howard said. "At that point, you know, I thought that was time to protect myself.”
What ensued after the Wolverines' 77-63 loss: Howard and Gard exchanged words, a postgame handshake line crowded around both coaches, tempers flared and Howard unleased a clawed blow at Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft, setting off a melee that saw two Michigan players throw punches.
And that forced Michigan's hand.
For his part in setting off the tussle, Howard was given a five-game suspension and fined $40,000. The suspension will last until the start of the Big Ten tournament, where Michigan may need to win multiple games to secure a spot in the NCAA field. The two players, Terrance Williams II and freshman Moussa Diabate, were suspended for one game each, effective immediately.
The Big Ten found that Gard was, in fact, "in violation of the conference’s sportsmanship policy," and handed him a $10,000 fine. But let's be serious: Howard's outburst had everything to do with the Badgers' timeout with 15 seconds left and the game already in hand, which Howard took as a sign of maximum disrespect.
Michigan was still pressing the Badgers despite the deficit. While there can often be a not-so-subtle message from these sort of late timeouts, isn't Wisconsin entitled to match the Wolverines' energy and keep coaching as if the game remained in doubt?
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With his pride bruised, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that Howard went into the handshake line looking for an outlet for this frustration.
In a statement, Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel called it "totally unacceptable behavior."
Howard received a deserved punishment for igniting an ugly scene that was undoubtedly the primary topic of conversation at Michigan and inside the league offices.
"After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were, and how they affected so many. I am truly sorry," Howard said in a statement. "I am offering my sincerest apology to my players and their families, my staff, my family and the Michigan fans around the world."
While the suspension will endanger the Wolverines' NCAA chances, Howard should consider himself lucky.
Given his recent history and the way Sunday's dustup drew widespread and immediate condemnation, there was a real possibility that Howard had coached his last game with the Wolverines. That choice represented the worst-case scenario on the list of options at Michigan's disposal. Nonetheless, considering that this is the second scuffle against a fellow Big Ten coach in his three seasons with the program, the school had to at least consider the possibility that a change was necessary.
His continued inability to maintain a baseline of composure is a major red flag for Michigan and the Big Ten. Last March, Howard drew a pair of technical fouls and was ejected from a game against Maryland after verbally clashing with then-Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, who claimed afterwards that Howard yelled, "I'm gonna [expletive] kill you."
These two outbursts paint the picture of a coach publicly teetering on the brink of instability, where moments as mundane as late-game timeouts — Wisconsin's backups needed a reset backcourt clock to get the ball past half court, Gard said — carry the possibility of triggering disturbing free-for-all brawls.
Is that an acceptable cost for Michigan, which entrusted the former Fab Five standout with the keys to the program despite his lack of head coaching experience? Is the Wolverines' rapid redevelopment into a national presence under Howard worth the price of embarrassment?
This moment threatens to swallow and overwhelm what Howard has achieved at his alma mater and hang over the rest of his coaching career, whether that's with the Wolverines or elsewhere.
Skeptics of the Howard hire in 2019 — landing Howard was "nothing more than a PR stunt and an admission you couldn't get a quality candidate in here," said one local radio host — have largely been proven wrong: Michigan reached the Elite Eight last season, though this year's team is one of the last four teams into the men's NCAA Tournament, according to Paste BN Sports' bracketology.
But there aren't enough wins to paper over another episode. The stink of this suspension will linger into the spring and summer. The question for Michigan after Sunday's brawl asks where the line is drawn: Will the next blowup be Howard's last?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg