Franz Wagner: Michigan In 'Great Hands' With Juwan Howard At The Helm
May 13, 2019 will forever go down in Michigan basketball lore.
'Shock' and 'disbelief' were two words to describe the emotions of staff members, players, fans and prized recruits that Monday, because the winningest head coach in program history, John Beilein, one year after flirting with the Detroit Pistons' head coaching opening, decided to take his talents to the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.
Many remember where they were when they either read NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski's tweet — "Michigan’s John Beilein has agreed to a five-year deal to become coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources tell ESPN" — at 8:43 a.m. ET or received a phone call or text message from someone who did.
Former Michigan wing Franz Wagner remembers exactly where he was when he got a call from Beilein himself. The younger brother of former Michigan forward Moe Wagner, Franz was with his parents at the Berlin airport, waiting to board his flight to Detroit for his official visit to Michigan.
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"I tried to watch a movie — it’s like a nine-hour flight,'' Wagner said on the Defend The Block podcast recently, recounting his journey. "I tried to just keep my mind occupied and away from all the weird situations that were going to come, but at the same time, I was still excited."
The options were fairly simple for Wagner at the time — continue to play in Germany or come to the United States to play for Michigan. But the situation changed in an instant, with a phone call. He was hosted by assistants DeAndre Haynes, Luke Yaklich and Saddi Washington, a trio of coaches who didn't know where they'd be in several months, and Moe, who had flown in for the visit.
"Obviously, it was really weird," Wagner continued. "I was also a little nervous, not knowing how everything was going to go and if it was going to be worth it because the assistants, at the time, didn’t know if they were going to stay or go somewhere else. I think we made the best of it with what we were dealt."
On May 22, 2019, just nine days later, Michigan hired Juwan Howard, who kept Washington on his staff. Howard recruited Wagner right off the bad and made him a priority, later calling him his first "five-star recruit." Wagner committed July 6 and immediately became a key piece to the puzzle for the Wolverines.
"I was really glad Saddi was able to stay, so I kind of knew somebody from the staff," Wagner said. "I joke with Saddi about that all the time, that it was definitely crazy. But I think we made the best out of it."
Twenty five months later, Wagner, who's in Los Angeles preparing for the 2021 NBA Draft, couldn't be happier about his experience at Michigan.
"One hundred percent, man," Wagner said when asked if Michigan lived up to his expectations. "It was the best two years of my life.
"Looking back, I was struggling so much with the decision to come here. It was the best thing I could’ve done. I feel like I learned so much during these two years. I had so much fun at the same time. I already miss it right now.
"All the people, all of the things that we did together, all of the memories … that’s something I definitely don’t take for granted and I’ll remember forever, for sure."
Ann Arbor hasn't seen the last of Wagner, though. Like his brother, he's planning on returning for basketball games and other events, when his schedule allows for it.
Wagner also shined in the classroom as a Wolverine, a product of the program's culture. He posted a 4.0 GPA and was named an academic All-American, Michigan basketball's first in over 40 years.
"I think it comes down to habits and what you’re used to," Wagner said. "I don’t like doing stuff wrong, so even in the classroom I try to do my best, and it worked out really well.
"A lot of people are helping us, too, to make sure we’re staying on top of our stuff in school. I think that’s really important. At the end of the day, Coach Howard puts a big emphasis on it as well. He knows what guys’ grades are, and he’ll tell them in front of the whole team and embarrass them if they’re not where they’re supposed to be. I think all of that plays into that.
"It was just part of my every day, and I took it seriously. At some point, it became like a competitive thing, that everybody knew I got a 4.0, so I wanted to keep it. It was a little bit of that, but I think it’s just trying to do your best at whatever you do."
Even though Howard wasn't the coach he originally thought he'd play for if he came to Michigan, he's the one he committed to, then played for during his two seasons on campus as he developed into a projected first-round draft pick.
Needless to say, Wagner believes Howard is the right man for the job.
"He’s an extremely hard worker. He loves picking other peoples’ brains and asking questions, and even learning from his players," Wagner said. "That’s something every player likes, when you feel like you’re talking on the same level with your coach. That made it very appealing for us as players, to talk to him and just have a good relationship with him.
"Everybody that was there these first two years could see the different mindset he came back with that second summer and how much he had learned, how much film he watched. He came in with a plan; he knew exactly what he wanted us to do. After that, it was the easy part to just execute it.
"Juwan, he’s going to get better and better every year; I think the program is in great hands. He’s great at what he does, and like I said, he’s only going to get better."
It appears Howard is only building from here, not leaving any time soon.
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