With Providence head coach Ed Cooley announcing this morning that he’ll be remaining with the Friars, current Miami Heat assistant and former Fab Five member Juwan Howard now appears to be the leading candidate for the Wolverines’ open position.
It has been confirmed that Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel is interviewing Howard today, and whether or not he is subsequently offered the job remains to be seen.
We did, however, speak with Miami Heat Beat (@miaheatbeat) writer and Five Reasons Sports Network (@5ReasonsSports) co-host Greg L. Sylvander (@Lefty_Leif) to get his take on what the Maize and Blue would be getting in Howard, if they were to potentially hire him as their head coach (More from Sylvander: Heat Can't Afford to Lose Juwan Howard Twice).
Sylvander began by describing Howard's role on the Heat's staff this past season.
“[Shooting guard] Josh Richardson referred to him as the head coach of the defense, so I think he really had a lead role in a lot of the defensive schemes,” the writer began.
“It was also unanimous from the players I spoke with that he was the emotional leader of the club. He was kind of the liaison between the head coach, front office and the players in the locker room, which obviously gave him an integral role.
“From an X’s and O’s standpoint though, defense was his calling card.”
Howard has built a very strong reputation down in Miami among the players and the fans, not only because of his basketball knowledge and IQ, but also because of his personality and the impact he has had on the young athletes in the organization.
“Every player I’ve spoken with is just over the moon in regards to his influence on them,” Sylvander exclaimed. “He’s a credible voice thanks to his 19 years in the league, the fact that he was both an all-star and had experience playing in the NBA Finals, and because of his days with the Fab Five.
“The fact that he was also playing not too long ago [2013] and isn’t far removed from his days on the court really resonates with people as well.
“[Power forward] Udonis Haslem recently honed in on how he could relate to Juwan not only as a coach and from a basketball perspective, but also as a fellow player.
“That is paramount when he’s coaching up all these younger guys, because he can connect with them in a way some of the older coaches probably aren’t able to. Juwan really has an ‘in’ when it comes to connecting with his players.”
