When the Fab Five was on campus in the early 1990s and playing for Michigan, the topic of conversation came up on who would end up coaching the Wolverines some day, if one of the five — which included Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber — ever did.
"We all thought Juwan would, just because of his maturity level," said King, while speaking at a University of Michigan Alumni Club of Greater Flint Zoom event.
It turns out, they were right. After playing 19 years in the NBA and coaching six seasons with the Miami Heat, Howard took over for the legendary John Beilein in the spring of 2019 and has had immense success during his two seasons on the job, leading the Maize and Blue to a Big Ten regular-season title this year and taking home Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
After seeing Howard's NBA system work in the college game, all while his relatability and authenticity have been on full display over the last two seasons, some of the top recruits in the country are kicking the doors down to play for Howard and Michigan, with the Maize and Blue already having signed the No. 1 class nationally in 2021, according to Rivals.com's rankings.
Back in 1991, former Michigan star guard Jimmy King, a McDonald's All-American, was that kind of recruit. As the story goes, it was actually Howard who helped the Michigan coaching staff, led by head coach Steve Fisher, reel in the nation's top class and the most renowned haul in history.
"This is his second round of recruiting for Michigan, if you will, because he was the catalyst to get the Fab Five on campus," said a smiling King. "You could credit him for having one of the greatest recruiting classes ever."
King has said before that he wishes he could've played for Beilein, the winningest coach in program history. We asked him if, after knowing Howard for most of his life and observing his coaching style over the years, he would've liked to play for his former teammate, if he ever could've had the chance.
Before we could finish posing the question, King shouted out his answer.
"Yes, absolutely!" King exclaimed.
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"What would be the best part of playing for Juwan Howard?" we asked.
"The best part about playing for Juwan would be that he’s fair," King replied. "I think him having the experience of being a former player allows him to have a better understanding on how to emotionally reach players in different stages. I think that that’s why he’s able to pull the best out of his players, and that’s what I’m seeing so far.
"To play for Juwan Howard — I would love to play for a coach like that, because he’s going to love on you, he’s going to be fair and I think that it’s really — from my point of view — player development. When I look at those players and where they start and how they become better in-game players, and their I.Q. level rises — it’s a testament to the coach. That does not happen by happenstance — that is very planned and thought out.
"That’s just a testament to their hard work, and being able to coach them. A lot of people can have a philosophy in their mind, but they’re not able to get the players to actually execute. So that’s just a testament to Juwan and the whole staff."
Jay Smith, Michigan's director of player personnel and development, was an assistant coach for the Wolverines during Howard's playing days in Ann Arbor. He and Howard have a longstanding relationship, and the head man wanted Smith to return to the program upon his former player accepting the job. More importantly, and something that says a great deal about Howard, Smith wanted to come back.
Smith has seen both sides, and has had a close view to observe what makes Howard tick, and succeed, as both a player and a coach.
"The other thing on Juwan is, Juwan is competitive — ultra competitive," said Smith, who was also on the Zoom call. "Fair, competitive. But when he steps between the lines, it’s game on."
Beyond the competitiveness, he's added his own twist into the already strong culture he inherited, and has built it even stronger.
"He’s just so transparent, honest and truthful — and it’s the way he played," Smith said. "He protects his family. We’re all family. You sacrifice, and once you’re all in, you’re all in — there’s no looking back. And that’s kind of the thrust of our culture right now. There’s some prongs about sacrificing, commitment, family — those things win.
"A lot of people put words in their locker room on the wall, but Juwan lives it. Our staff lives it. I think that’s the best action you can have."
Like King said, Howard hasn't achieved anything by chance. The hard work he put in as a player, an assistant coach in the NBA and now the head coach at Michigan is paying off in a big way and in all areas.
"You’re not going to outwork Juwan," King said. "The thing about Juwan is, Juwan has always been a hard worker as a player and then as a coach. You can see it permeate, and it trickles down to the players — they hold each other accountable, they care for each other and it’s a true family environment. And that’s something Coach Juwan Howard and his staff have fostered there."
"Juwan is a guy who works like an assistant," Smith added. "He is in here grinding every day, game planning, understanding strategies. And the other thing is that he’s all about growth mindset. He’s all about growing, he’s all about learning."
And that's why Howard is off to a great start to his tenure in Ann Arbor, appears to be on his way to great success and will undoubtedly be taking home more hardware in the weeks to come.
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