- Juwan Howard was fired as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines basketball program after five seasons at the helm.
- Current South Carolina Gamecocks’ head coach Lamont Paris is the betting favorite to be named as Michigan’s next bench boss.
- Michigan has failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons.
Juwan Howard is no longer the Michigan Wolverines head coach after three frustrating years in Ann Arbor. The program is searching for a new head coach after an 8-24 campaign this season. At +600, Michigan is most likely to hire South Carolina’s Lamont Paris.
The current odds suggest an implied probability of 14.3% for that to happen. It isn’t the most overwhelming odds, but Paris has the highest probability of signing with Michigan. Aside from him, Dusty May (+700), T.J. Otzelberger (+700), John Beilein (+750), and Niko Medved (+750) are strong contenders.
The name gaining the most attention is Beilein. The 71-year-old coached Michigan from 2007 to 2019 and had plenty of success. The veteran led the Wolverines to nine NCAA Tournaments and six Sweet 16 berths. His tenure also included a trip to the 2018 Men’s Basketball National Championship.
Despite failing to deliver a championship, Michigan fans look back fondly on Beilein’s time in Ann Arbor. The coach left after accepting a head coaching position with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which abruptly ended in 2020 after a record of 14-40 in the NBA.
Beilein Might Consider Michigan Reunion
According to Michigan insider John U. Bacon, Beilein said that he would consider returning to Ann Arbor. There isn’t any indication that the interest is reciprocal.
Do the Wolverines want to hire a 71-year-old head coach who likely isn’t that far off from retirement? How would Beilein handle the new business of college basketball, which includes NIT and a busy transfer portal?
Although Beilein is a well-respected and esteemed college basketball coach, Michigan likely has him as their fifth or sixth option. Hiring Beilein for nostalgia purposes may not be in the Wolverines’ best interest.
Nevertheless, the former head coach has indicated that he would be open to accepting the job at Michigan.
Lamont Paris Signs Contract Extension
The most interesting dynamic in Michigan’s head coaching search is that Paris recently signed a six-year extension with South Carolina. Paris inked a six-year deal, worth more than $4 million per season.
The SEC Coach of the Year received the pay increase after leading South Carolina to a regular season record of 25-6. It marks a stunning turnaround after the Gamecocks finished with a record of 11-21 in Paris’ first season as head coach a year ago.
South Carolina’s SEC Tournament bid ended with an 86-55 loss to the surging Auburn Tigers, but it has otherwise been a strong season for Paris. The 49-year-old native of Ohio turned the trajectory of the Chattanooga Mocs program around, which included an NCAA Tournament berth in 2022.
Now, Paris has transformed South Carolina into a contender in only two seasons on the sideline. With the head coach seemingly happy in Columbia and finalizing an extension, is he willing to move to Ann Arbor? It would require a lot of money and Michigan might be ready to splash the cash.
However, with the likes of May and Otzelberger possibly on the market, the Wolverines may not feel inclined to be overly invested in Paris. May has done a fantastic job with the Florida Atlantic Owls, while Otzelberger is making a name for himself with the Iowa State Cyclones.
Iowa State is entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed and fresh off a Big 12 Championship. The Cyclones’ run to the top of the conference included an impressive 69-41 win over the Houston Cougars.
Howard Era Ends Unceremoniously
Following an Elite Eight appearance in his second season as head coach in 2020-21, the future looked bright for Howard. Since then, however, Michigan regressed from 23-5 to 19-15, 18-16, and then finally 8-24 this past season.
Howard will primarily be remembered as a head coach who couldn’t manage to avoid confrontation with opposing coaches and players. The most memorable incident was Howard slapping Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft on the head after a loss.
He was subsequently suspended for the rest of the season and fined $40,000 for the altercation, which set off a brief brawl between the Michigan and Wisconsin players.
As Howard’s temper developed into a growing problem, and the losses piled up high at the Crisler Center, it was an easy decision for the University of Michigan to part ways with the former member of the Fab Five.
