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The Big Ten got a Woj Bomb this week, as he reported that Michigan head coach Juwan Howard was emerging as a head coaching candidate for the head coaching position with the Portland Trail Blazers. Howard spent years as an assistant with the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra before taking over as Michigan’s head coach two years ago. The news was to be expected after Howard’s early success in Ann Arbor.
Among candidates expected to be considered for the Blazers opening, sources tell ESPN: Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, Jeff Van Gundy, Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni, and Michigan’s Juwan Howard.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2021
While we don’t know how serious interest will be in the weeks to come, Howard certainly has an impressive resume. He was a key contributor with Michigan’s Fab Five before leading a lengthy career in the NBA as a player and assistant coach. He then took over in Ann Arbor two years ago, where he has led the program to noteworthy success, including a Big Ten regular season title this season.
Michigan is expected to enter next season with high hopes yet again led by the nation’s best recruiting class and players like Eli Brooks. And if Hunter Dickinson opts to forego the NBA Draft and return to campus, things look even better.
Should Howard end up leaving Ann Arbor, one would expect the school would express some interest in John Beilein, who left the program for the NBA two years ago to open up the job to Howard in the first place. Beilein is currently working for the Detroit Pistons.
We will have to wait and see what happens.