The 19-year NBA veteran has been hired to be part of Jordi Fernandez’s growing staff
Juwan Howard who played 19 seasons in the NBA then served as an assistant coach with the Heat for six years before becoming head coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines will join Jordi Ferndandez’s staff as an assistant, Adrian Wojnarowki reports.
ESPN Sources: Juwan Howard has agreed to join the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach. Howard spent six NBA seasons as a Heat assistant before returning to Michigan for five years as head coach. Howard arrives as part of Jordi Fernandez’s first staff. pic.twitter.com/RMjNVgpiel
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 26, 2024
in his accompanying ESPN story, Woj reports that the former Fab Five big man had “agreed” to join the Nets, suggesting the Nets recruited Howard:
Howard spent six seasons as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra with the Miami Heat upon his retirement from an NBA career that included 19 seasons, two championships and All-Star and All-NBA selections.
After his initial success as Wolverines coach, Howard was approached for some NBA head-coaching openings — including with the Los Angeles Lakers — but remained at Michigan where he eventually coached his sons, Jett and Jace. Howard led the Wolverines to a Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in his time at his alma mater but struggled in the past two seasons, culminating with an 8-24 record that led to his dismissal.
ESPN had previously reported that Steve Hetzel of the Trail Blazers, who has worked with Fernandez in the past, as an assistant. Last season, the Nets had eight assistants under Jacque Vaughn, as big a coaching staff as any NBA team. Kevin Ollie was one of those assistants when JV was let go and was promoted to interim head coach. In his meeting with the media after the Fernandez introduction, Sean Marks wished Ollie well, which suggested he won’t be back.
Howard first became well-known in the late 1980s when we was among Michigan’s legendary recruiting class, the “Fab Five,” which included also included Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. The class also included Rob Pelinka who went on to become the Lakets general manager.
In his 19-year NBA career, Howard played for eight teams — Denver and Dallas twice — before joining the Miami Heat and winning two NBA rings with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2012 and 2013. He then joined the Heat as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra. During his tenure at Michigan State, he won the Big Ten in 2021 being named the AP and Sporting News coach of the year.
But he also had a controversial faceoff with Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard in the postgame handshake line…
Juwan Howard throws a punch. pic.twitter.com/HiC3y7yKvG
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 20, 2022
Howard was upset Howard that Gard called timeout ahead by 14 with 15 seconds remaining,
He was suspended for the remainder of Michigan’s regular season following the incident and fined $40,000 for being in “clear violation of the Big Ten Conference’s Sportsmanship Policy”. ]Howard was allowed to return for the Big Ten Tournament and later the NCAA tournament, where the Wolverines reached the Sweet Sixteen.
- Juwan Howard joining Nets as assistant coach, sources say – Adrian Wojnarowski – ESPN