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After John Beilein’s surprising season to leave the college ranks to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears the Michigan Wolverines have found their next head coach.
Juwan Howard, who was a member of Michigan’s infamous Fab Five, will be the next head coach in Ann Arbor, according to the Miami Heat Beat.
BREAKING: Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard is expected to be named Michigan head coach, sources tell @miaheatbeat and @5ReasonsSports. Story posting soon on https://t.co/XoF2xcW3nL.
— Miami Heat Beat (@miaheatbeat) May 21, 2019
Michigan reporter Brad Galli is also hearing Howard likely gets the job, and it could be finalized this week.
If Juwan Howard lands the Michigan job — and it looks very likely at this point — I’m hearing the school will work quickly to make it official and may hold a press conference this week.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) May 21, 2019
The 46-year-old Howard has been an assistant coach on the Miami Heat’s coaching staff ever since he retired from the NBA following the 2013 season. With LeBron James in Miami, Howard was a two-time NBA champion and was named an all-star as a member of the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in 1996.
This move on paper doesn’t seem to affect Kentucky other than the fact a perennial Final Four contender has a new head coach. However, Howard has a tie to possibly the most coveted Kentucky prospect in quite some time.
Howard is cousins with five-star power forward Jaden McDaniels,who the Wildcats are still battling to obtain for the 2019 season.
Though it’s very late in the process and McDaniels seems to be down to Kentucky or Washington, he is still uncommitted, which could lead to Howard and Michigan making a late push if they can get him under contract quick enough.
Time will tell if McDaniels even begins to consider Michigan, but in what’s been an unpredictable process, anything is possible.