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Early on Friday, it seemed that a meeting between former Michigan Wolverines basketball player Juwan Howard and athletic director Warde Manuel was inevitable after ESPN reported Manuel is “very interested” in speaking with Howard, who’s now an assistant coach for the Miami Heat.
Juwan Howard tells me #Michigan has retained Turnkey Sports for its coaching search. Howard has spoken with them and has been informed that Wolverines AD Warde Manuel is very interested in speaking with him.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 17, 2019
Now, Josh Henschke from The Michigan Insider reported late Friday night that Howard and Manuel will be meeting on Tuesday to discuss the open position for head basketball coach.
JUST IN: Multiple sources have confirmed to myself and The Michigan Insider that #Michigan AD Warde Manuel is expected to meet with Juwan Howard on Tuesday to discuss the head coaching vacancy https://t.co/td2eLMqJwQ
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) May 18, 2019
Howard may not be the most experienced replacement for Beilein as he has no experience as a head coach at the collegiate or professional levels. However, he has been an assistant in the Miami Heat organization since he retired in 2013.
Howard is just 46 years old and has a ton of basketball knowledge to bring into the role. During his playing days at Michigan, he was a member of the “Fab-Five” where he averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Then, Howard was picked No. 5 in the NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets (now Wizards). He had a 19-season career where he was an All-Star, an All-NBA player in 1995-96, and won two NBA Championships with the Heat.