Ex-Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard returns for son Jace's senior day

Ex-Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard returns for son Jace’s senior day

Posted by author March 2, 2025 Basketball

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Juwan Howard returned to Crisler Center as a parent to celebrate his son Jace’s senior day.
Juwan Howard was let go as Michigan’s basketball coach last year after a disappointing season.

For the first time since he was Michigan basketball’s head coach last year, Juwan Howard walked out of the Blavin Tunnel and onto the court at Crisler Center.

However, instead of doing so as a player, which he did from 1991-94, or as a coach like he did from 2019-24, this time he did so as a parent, along with his wife Jenine, to celebrate their son Jace’s senior day.

Jace Howard, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound Miami native, has spent the past five years in Ann Arbor where he’s played in 70 games. He played in a career-high 30 games as a junior, but appeared in just 10 last year as he battled injuries and has only seen action five times this year.

Still, he was all smiles on Sunday, where he and his parents watched his career highlight montage on the Crisler Center videoboard before he was introduced to a raucous ovation.

As for Juwan, who is now an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets — they play on Wednesday, when U-M hosts Maryland on the final home game of the season, which the Free Press was told was the reason senior day was moved to a non-traditional slot as the penultimate home game of the year — he too smiled and clapped as his son was recognized.

Juwan, who led U-M to an Elite Eight appearance, a Sweet 16 berth, was named AP Coach of the Year in 2021 and orchestrated the program’s last Big Ten championship, was let go last year after U-M struggled to an 8-24 campaign and 3-17 finish in the Big Ten, the worst year in program history.

For the many positive moments during the past regime, it was also marred by several off-court moments such as threating former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon in 2021, smacking a Wisconsin assistant in 2022 and getting into a verbal altercation with former strength coach Jon Sanderson in U-M’s facility in 2024.

Sanderson left the program the following week when the team was 5-5 and U-M would go 3-19 the rest of the way. He finished 82-67 overall in five years as U-M head coach.

As a player, Howard was a two-time All-American (1992-94) and finished his career averaging 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds before a 19-year NBA career.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.