Michigan Basketball: 3 reasons why Ed Cooley is a serious candidate
There are a lot of Michigan basketball fans that want Juwan Howard as their head coach. But another name they need to take seriously is that of Ed Cooley.
When it comes to the Michigan basketball head coaching search, a lot of fans have focused in on former Wolverines star Juwan Howard and rightfully so.
There are many reasons why Howard feels like the perfect fit as the head coach of Michigan basketball. For starters, he was one of the greatest Wolverines ever.
Howard was part of the famed Fab Five and helped Michigan reach the national championship game twice, as well as the Elite 8 as a junior following the departure of Chris Webber. He averaged over 20 points and eight rebounds that season.
From paternity leave:
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) May 20, 2019
Juwan Howard and LaVall Jordan are still candidates for the Michigan hoops job, as reported last week. Providence’s Ed Cooley also being mentioned. Process is speeding up now.
Same time, no indication AD Warde Manuel has a firm leader at this minute.
Howard went on to play 19 seasons in the NBA and has spent the last six as an assistant for the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra. He is highly regarded, so much so that the Pistons, Timberwolves, Knicks and Lakers have all interviewed him for their head coaching positions in the last year.
So Howard is a serious candidate. But he’s not the only one. Another that is gaining steam is Ed Cooley of Providence, who fits the mold of the experienced coach Warde Manuel said he was looking for when the search began.
College coaching experience is the one thing Howard doesn’t have. There are some other factors that could work against Juwan and favor Cooley. That’s why he should be taken seriously as a candidate for this job and here is a breakdown of the top reasons why.