Michigan basketball parts ways with coach Juwan Howard following latest disappointing season

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Five years ago, Juwan Howard delivered a teary introductory press conference shortly after he was named head basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

"Tears of joy," an emotional Howard said during the May 2019 press conference. "I said I wasn't going to cry, but I guess that never happens when you're excited about something so special to you … that means so much." 

Five years later, Howard's emotions likely struck a different chord when Michigan announced its decision to fire the former NBA player.

"After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men's basketball coach," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement Friday.

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Head coach Juwan Howard of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center Jan. 30, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Howard was a member of Michigan's acclaimed "Fab Five" recruiting class that became the first all-freshman starting five in the NCAA tournament title game. Manuel praised Howard for creating a "positive experience" for the players but stressed the need for the program to turn the page.

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"Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program. I know how much it meant, to not only Juwan, but to all of us for him to return here to lead this program. Despite his love of his alma mater and the positive experience that our student-athletes had under his