Where Howard's Debut Season Stacks Up Against U-M's Other 1st-Year Coaches
Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Juwan Howard concluded his debut campaign in Ann Arbor with a 19-12 record, though he would have had an opportunity to add on to that win total if the rest of the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament would have taken place.
At worst, the Maize and Blue were scheduled to play at least two more games (one in the conference tournament and one in the Big Dance), and could have played as many as 10 more had they made it to the championships of both of the aforementioned tournaments.
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Howard was set to become just the third first-year Michigan head coach ever to lead the Wolverines to the NCAA Tournament, with Steve Fisher (1990) and Brian Ellerbe (1998) the only other two who were able to do so.
A Sweet Sixteen appearance this season would have also made Howard the first debut U-M coach ever to lead his club that far into the NCAA Tournament (both Fisher's and Ellerbe's initial Michigan teams lost in the second round of the Big Dance to Loyola-Marymount and UCLA, respectively).
Howard's 19 wins this year tie him with Bill Frieder (1980-81) for the third most among first-year coaches in school history, trailing only the 25 victories that Ellerbe's 1997-98 squad compiled and the 23 wins Fisher's 1989-90 team recorded.
His 61.2 overall winning percentage puts him a bit further down the list, however, checking in seventh among the 17 first-year coaches Michigan has ever had (including Howard).
The 10 conference victories the Wolverines posted this season were tied for the third most under a debut coach in school history, with George Veenker also racking up 10 (with only two league losses) in 1928-29.
The only two first-year head coaches who won more conference games were Fisher (12-6 in 1989-90) and Ellerbe (11-5 in 1997-98).
| Year | Coach | Final Record |
|---|---|---|
|
1997-98 |
Brian Ellerbe |
25-9 |
|
1989-90 |
Steve Fisher |
23-8 |
|
1980-81 |
Bill Frieder |
19-11 |
|
2019-20 |
Juwan Howard |
19-12 |
|
1948-49 |
Ernest McCoy |
15-6 |
|
1968-69 |
Johnny Orr |
13-11 |
|
1928-29 |
George Veenker |
13-3 |
|
1946-47 |
Osborne Cowles |
12-8 |
|
2001-02 |
Tommy Amaker |
11-18 |
|
1931-32 |
Frank Cappon |
11-6 |
|
1938-39 |
Bennie Oosterbaan |
11-9 |
|
2007-08 |
John Beilein |
10-22 |
|
1919-20 |
E.J. Mather |
10-13 |
|
1952-53 |
William Perigo |
6-16 |
|
1960-61 |
Dave Strack |
6-18 |
|
1917-18 |
Elmer Mitchell |
6-12 |
|
1908-09 |
George D. Corneal |
1-4 |
| Year | Coach | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|
|
1928-29 |
George Veenker |
81.2% |
|
1989-90 |
Steve Fisher |
74.2% |
|
1997-98 |
Brian Ellerbe |
73.5% |
|
1948-49 |
Ernest McCoy |
71.4% |
|
1931-32 |
Frank Cappon |
64.7% |
|
1980-81 |
Bill Frieder |
63.3% |
|
2019-20 |
Juwan Howard |
61.2% |
|
1946-47 |
Osborne Cowles |
60% |
|
1938-39 |
Bennie Oosterbaan |
55% |
|
1968-69 |
Johnny Orr |
54.1% |
|
1919-20 |
E.J. Mather |
43.4% |
|
2001-02 |
Tommy Amaker |
37.9% |
|
1917-18 |
Elmer Mitchell |
33.3% |
|
2007-08 |
John Beilein |
31.2% |
|
1952-53 |
William Perigo |
27.2% |
|
1960-61 |
Dave Strack |
25% |
|
1908-09 |
George D. Corneal |
20% |
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