Published Mar 9, 2022
Inside Juwan Howard’s two weeks of ‘soul searching’ while suspended
circle avatar
Daniel Dash  •  Maize&BlueReview
Beat Writer
Twitter
@DanielDash_
info icon
Embed content not available

In his first press conference following a five-game suspension, Michigan coach Juwan Howard didn’t mince words on Wednesday.

The last time Howard addressed the media came just minutes after he struck a Wisconsin assistant coach in the head during a postgame altercation in Madison on Feb. 20. Sitting behind a microphone at the Kohl Center media room table, Howard offered not an apology for what transpired, but a justification.

Some fans and pundits called for his immediate firing. Instead, Michigan suspended Howard for five games and fined him $40,000 — a massive punishment exceeding the two-game, $10,000 maximum conference-imposed sanction allowed under the Big Ten’s Sportsmanship Policy. Howard faded into the background as acting head coach Phil Martelli steered the Wolverines to three wins in five games to close out the regular season.

Nearly three weeks later, Howard’s voice struck a different chord following his suspension.

“The reason why we’re all here is because of the postgame events at Wisconsin,” Howard said Wednesday. “And so, with that, I could come up with 1,000 excuses, but I’m not. I take full ownership of my actions. And I could talk about the timeout, we could discuss the pulled arm, we could talk about the words that were exchanged with coaches, but all that would be excuses. The main thing is that was not the right way I should carry myself as the head coach at a fine institution like the University of Michigan.”

Howard issued a profound apology. He described his 14 days away from Crisler Center, spending time on the phone with Martelli and assistant coaches Howard Eisley and Saddi Washington in order to offer input. Prior to the Wolverines’ game against Michigan State, Hunter Dickinson even drove to Howard’s house to discuss how to exploit the Spartans. A few hours later, he posted a career-high 33 points and led Michigan to a blowout victory.

Still, it proved difficult not being in the building for games and practices. Howard watched the Wolverines' contests from his office, rewinding the television and taking notes he wanted to point out to his staff after the game. Throughout each game, he was dressed from head to toe in maize and blue and wore the same outfit for each game, citing superstitions.

But most importantly, he used the two weeks as an opportunity to look inward and evaluate himself beyond basketball.

“I was truly upset with myself during those two weeks,” Howard said. “I did some soul searching as to how I could improve. When I talk about the team being 1% better, that applies to me, too. So, during those two weeks, I got a chance to do some soul searching, to evaluate how I can get better. And during that time, I reflected on the moment at Wisconsin, as well (as) how I could be better as a head coach here, better as a person and better as a coach.

“So, let’s talk about the person. I went out and I sought therapy. This wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time. Because I want to be a better person. I want to be a better coach and I felt that that was the right thing to do to help improve as a person.”

Howard said he plans to apologize to Badgers’ head coach Greg Gard and assistant Joe Krabbenhoft in person this offseason. In the meantime, with the Wolverines set to leave for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis on Wednesday, he has one goal in mind for his return to Michigan’s sideline.

“Embarking on something I know all of us are trying to achieve,” Howard said, “and that’s a Big Ten title and an NCAA title if we get the opportunity to compete for postseason play in March.”

With a strong showing in Indianapolis, the Wolverines can secure exactly that.

---

Not a subscriber to The Maize and Blue Review? Sign up today!

Discuss this article on our premium message boards

Follow our staff on Twitter @MaizeBlueReview, @JoshHenschke, @BrandonJustice_, @DanielDash_, @DennisFithian, @StephenToski, @Baird_CJ, @ZachLibby, @JimScarcelli, @GoBlueMcCue

Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Subscribe to The Maize and Blue Review on YouTube!

Like The Maize and Blue Review on Facebook!