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Warde Manuel talks Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard's status

Chris Balasby: Chris Balas02/14/24Balas_Wolverine
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Michigan Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel signed Juwan Howard to a contract extension ... is NIL help next? (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard is under fire with his program on decline. His team reached the Sweet 16 two years ago after sneaking into the NCAA Tournament, was an NIT squad last year with All-American center Hunter Dickinson and a pair of first round draft picks in Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin, and is now headed for last place in the Big Ten. 

The Wolverines fell behind by 30 points or more for a second straight game in a 97-68 loss at Illinois Tuesday, lost for the 11th time in Big Ten play (3-11), and are now 8-17 overall. They’ve lost 12 of 14 games and have some tough ones coming up, starting Saturday at home against Michigan State.

The Wolverines haven’t finished last in the conference since the 1966-67 season. 

“Juwan and I have talked, yes,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said Wednesday. “And we’ll continue to have those conversations as the season goes through. I continue to support him in an effort to turn this around and win like he expects to. 

“There’s no lack of effort from our student-athletes or coaches — it’s a lack of execution at times and we have to be better. He knows that; they know that, and expectations are high. But I will continue to have the conversations with him, and we’ll continue to support him in our program and continue to be there for him.”

Howard is 45-49 over the last three seasons at Michigan, 25-31 in Big Ten play, and has struggled with roster construction and in close games. The Wolverines have gotten gradually worse since the Elite Eight season in 2020-21, a 23-5 Covid-shortened campaign in which they won the Big Ten with a 14-3 record.

“It’s difficult. None of these student-athletes or coaches or staff [want to lose] — they’re working to win,” Manuel continued. “And when it doesn’t happen, there’s no bigger disappointment than the lack of results in the success of winning. So, they will continue to get my support, and we will continue to have conversations and work through it.”

Though they’re one of the nation’s worse defensive teams and don’t appear to be getting better, Manuel insisted he wasn’t thinking of making an in-season change the way Ohio State did today in firing Chris Holtmann.

“It would be fair to say I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” the Michigan A.D. said. “It’s one of those things that I guess I can’t say any clearer — I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. So, my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.”