According to a report, Juwan Howard, the former head coach of Michigan, will be joining the Brooklyn Nets as an assistant coach. Howard, who spent the last five years leading the University of Michigan team, will now be assisting Jordi Fernandez, the recently appointed head coach of the Nets, as per ESPN.
After concluding a distinguished 19-year career in the NBA, which saw him win two championships with the Miami Heat, earn an All-Star selection, and receive All-NBA and All-Rookie honors, Howard transitioned into coaching. He began his coaching journey as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra with the Heat. Subsequently, he took the helm as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, where he was part of the renowned Fab Five.
During his tenure at Michigan, spanning five years, Howard amassed an 87-72 record and guided the Wolverines to two March Madness appearances, reaching the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. However, after two disappointing seasons without postseason berths, Howard was let go by Michigan in March, with the team posting an 8-24 record in his final season, the poorest since his appointment in 2019.
Now making the transition back to the professional level after his stint in college coaching, Howard will join Fernandez, who is taking on his first head coaching role with the Nets. Fernandez previously served under Michael Malone in Denver for six years and, most recently, as an associate head coach under Mike Brown in Sacramento.
Although Howard returns to the NBA as an assistant, there has been previous interest from teams in him for head coaching positions. Reportedly, the Lakers considered him their top choice in 2022 before hiring Darvin Ham, but Howard declined the opportunity to remain at Michigan and coach his sons.
With Howard now back in the NBA fold, he joins a coaching staff tasked with revitalizing a Nets team that finished the season with a 32-50 record, missing the Play-In Tournament by four games.
