The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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6 THE WOLVERINE JUNE/JULY 2019 J uwan Howard once strutted toward the cameras, bellow- ing, "We're going to shock the world! I told you, we're go- ing to shock the world!" More than a quarter century later, he's looking to do so again, in maize and blue. Michigan's new head bas- ketball coach has already shocked many. In 10 days, the Wolverines went from more than 51,000 minutes of college basketball head coaching expe- rience on the bench to zero. John Beilein's departure for the NBA's Cleveland Cava- liers left Michigan basketball fans stunned and saddened. They'd gone from a decade of no NCAA Tournament action to nine trips (including two title games) in 11 seasons. Now what? Now Howard, who demon- strated a long time ago that nobody should underestimate him. From an All-America career at Michigan, to 19 years and two championships as an NBA player, to a six-year as- sistant coaching career impressive enough to draw several interviews for NBA head coaching spots, How- ard has never failed to impress. Head coaching experience? That's a no, leaving unchecked one box U-M director of athletics Warde Manuel started his search looking to fill. "I think Juwan Howard is going to figure things out quickly," college basketball analyst and Michigan alum Tim McCormick assured. "He will rely heavily on his staff, espe- cially at the beginning. He's going to need some people that understand the Big Ten and all the scouting re- ports and tendencies — that will be a big advantage. "But the biggest thing is his ability to recruit, and I think that will be a strength. It's something that's going to carry him. If you get really, really good players, you're going to suc- ceed." When McCormick says Howard will figure it out — and apply him- self assiduously in doing so — he's not guessing. He witnessed it up close and personal nearly three de- cades ago. Back then, Michigan head coach Steve Fisher asked McCormick to meet him at the school's intramural building. There, he discovered a young man who would prove inte- gral to Michigan's basketball future. McCormick recalled: "Coach Fisher said, 'I want you to work with Juwan Howard.' He intro- duced me, said he was a recruit, and said, 'I want you to show him some of your footwork. And can you teach him your jump hook?' "I spent about an hour and 20 minutes with him. We talked for a while, and we had some fun. I showed him the jump hook, and it's not an easy shot to learn. "The next time I saw him, he was playing for Michigan, and his jump hook was so much better than mine ever was. That really was a wow factor for me. Not only did he show he's coachable, he took it and had the skill level — with hours and hours and hours of practicing — to make it a staple of his game." To this day, McCormick can't think about Howard without con- sidering that encounter. "A lot of guys think, 'I'm a high school All-American. I've got this, I don't need [help]," McCormick said. "He took it, embraced it and made it part of his attack. "I think that's going to be the foundation of his coaching. He's going to learn, and he's going to implement new ideas into his coaching techniques." Howard hasn't ceased to amaze mentors and teammates, up to and including the re- doubtable LeBron James. James put an enthusiastic stamp of approval on Michigan's hire, re- calling his first encounter with Howard. James tweeted that Howard is "one of my favorite people I've ever met," and made a huge impression on him when James was only 16. Howard can impress plenty of 16- and 17-year-old young men on behalf of Michigan, starting al- most immediately. When he tells them he knows what it takes to get them to the professional level, no- body can question it. Many consider Manuel's signa- ture move as Michigan AD a high- risk, high-reward venture. Noth- ing is guaranteed, obviously, and Howard's success depends on many factors — his choice of staff, ability to recruit, and diligence in learning how to put together and run a high- level college program. McCormick, and others, don't discount the questions. Those who know Howard well, though, say they know how he'll attack them. "I can say this — his inexperience will be remedied really quick," Mc- Cormick said. "He's going to get experience. And after a year, he's going to know everything he needs to work on and he's going to learn a lot of lessons in that first season." Shock the world? Maybe not in- stantly. But those who know him well won't be shocked if he succeeds. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB _ Wolverine. WOLVERINE WATCH JOHN BORTON Juwan Howard Is Ready To Win Big Howard has spent the last 25 years in the NBA — 19 as a player and the last six as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI HEAT