Michigan Basketball: Suspension is learning moment for Juwan Howard

After the incidents at Wisconsin last Sunday, Juwan Howard has been suspended for the remainder of Michigan basketball‘s regular season.

Howard, caught on live TV striking one of Wisconsin’s assistant coaches, has a history of on-court antics and should consider the suspension a learning moment before returning to the court.

What happened Sunday

Since being hired, Juwan Howard has gained a reputation of being a “players coach.” Howard has no issue coming to bat for his players both on and off the court, which became apparent following Sunday’s loss to the Badgers.

After being grabbed by Wisconsin’s head coach, Howard got involved in a physical altercation that would escalate into a full-on brawl very quickly.

After one of Wisconsin’s assistant coaches laid his hands on Michigan forward Terrance Williams, Juwan Howard swiftly reached over the pile of bodies in front of him and struck said coach. Though there is some debate over whether Howard was justified in doing so or not, most feel that these actions are beneath a University of Michigan head coach.

Following the incident, both the Big Ten and the university acted fast by dealing Howard a five-game suspension, good for the rest of the Wolverines’ regular season. If this was a one-time incident, the headlines might be different; however, Howard now has gained a reputation from his on-court antics.

Howard’s history of incidents

In Juwan Howard’s first season, he ran onto the court in the middle of a game to check on one of his downed players. In an emotionally fueled moment for Howard, he was given a technical foul for interrupting the game in the Wolverines’ loss to the Spartans.

In Howard’s second season, he reportedly told Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon that he was “going to kill” him during another late-game incident.

The incident did not lead to any meaningful punishment during the Wolverines’ conference title run; however, Howard was ejected from the game, and Turgeon filed a formal complaint.

So far this season, Juwan Howard has picked up a loose ball mid-game and now struck an opposing coach after a loss.

Though Howard’s actions are emotionally-driven and come from a good place, this suspension needs to get through to Howard that he is no longer a player, and he cannot be acting like this as a head coach.

The passion, love for the game, and love for his players are all signs of a good coach, but Howard should tone it down just a bit in order to stay in good standing with the media, fans, and university as a whole.