Michigan and men’s basketball head coach Juwan Howard have agreed to a five-year contract extension through the 2025-26 season, the school announced. Howard has led the Wolverines to a 44-17 (.719) mark since taking over in 2019-20. Michigan advanced to the Elite Eight in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
“I’m honored to be regarded in such a way that the University wished to continue a lasting relationship with me,” Howard said in a statement. “It was a surprise when Warde approached me, and it didn’t take long for us to get on the same page. I’m grateful to him, our great University and my talented young men who sacrifice every day. The love I have for the University of Michigan is beyond words.”
Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel also weighed in.
“I couldn’t be happier for our student-athletes and fans to know that Juwan will continue to lead Michigan into the future,” Manuel said. “His great character is second to none, and he is a wonderful teammate — demonstrated through his commitment to proactive communication and collaboration across the department. Juwan’s love for this university is evident in all that he does, as is the joy he takes in the accomplishments of his student-athletes.”
Michigan pushed its record to 2-0 Saturday night with a 77-49 victory over Prairie View A&M in the inaugural Coaches vs. Racism Roundball Classic in Washington, D.C. It takes on Seton Hall at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday.
“(Participating in the Coaches vs. Racism Classic) means a lot to not only the staff, but (also) the players and the University of Michigan to join together and be a part of a great cause,” Howard said in an interview with the Big Ten Network.” We’re here to basically at the end of the day fight racial inequality, and at the end of the day support all the HBCUs and what they have done (despite) the limited resources. (We’re) doing whatever we can to help raise money for them.”
Howard also used the time in the D.C. to familiarize his players with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.
“That was beautiful,” Howard told BTN. “It was great just to see all our players getting together and getting a chance to learn and hear about the rich history of African Americans that have done it for so long, and are still doing it to this day. But also (important) to learn about the struggle that we had to go through during the time of some tough moments… to see the sacrifice from many of our ancestors (who made) it possible for all of us to be here today to join together. And I think sports are a beautiful (tool) to see how different people from different walks of life, different races,and different religions can not even think about any of that stuff, and just join together and be a team and a family. And that’s what Michigan and our program has always been about, and that’s what I’ll continue to keep building.”
The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb contributed to this report.
Credit: Source link
