Bacon Juwan Watch Update: While Warde would rather keep Juwan, he now seems less inclined to bring him back
I don't know why this is even a question but here we are.
The decision has to be made immediately after the final game, as in this week.
If he lets Howard return and next year starts off looking like this year Manuel will have a disaster on his hands with no good options. It has to be now.
March 13th, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^
As in today.
take the easy money and go with PSU
Reality may be finally dawning on him and visions of 3-4,000 a game at Crisler
Fortunately money talks.
Regardless of what happens I would welcome a cogent and detailed analysis of what's wrong with the way the program is being run and what it will take to fix it. Obviously NIL is a big issue, but I'd rather hear about aspects that a coach has more direct control/influence over. Things like:
- Talent evaluation (of the guys being brought in)
- Talent development
- Strategy and tactics (including recognition of what your players can and can't do well)
- Relationships and team culture
- Administration (i.e., getting the guys who want to come in the program)
What am I missing?
I'm not sure how to grade Howard on talent evaluation, but it's hard to fathom how someone with his profile could fall what seems to be so far short in all these other areas. I have to assume that he is really good at a lot of things, but something is missing in each of these areas. And I imagine 2, 3, and 4 each play into the other.
Caveat: I am not as knowledgeable about the basketball team as I am about football.
1.) I cannot speak to this but he clearly cannot do this at the level of Beilein.
2.) It could be that coming from the NBA Juwan was used to having all-world talent and being able to rely on superstars, who for the most part are training with their own coaches outside of practice/team activities. I can see how Juwan would be lacking the skill in this department.
3.) Similar to #2, with the nature of college sports you have a constant influx of new talent of wildly varying degrees, especially in this day and age of NIL and the portal (you won't have stacked teams full of future NBA stars like you once did). This ties into relationships and culture but it feels sort of like RichRod trying to put square pegs into round holes on day 1 instead of working with what he had and then phasing in what he wanted once he got his players - but Juwan has his players so there seems to be no logic for his failure here.
4.) I don't get this, you'd think a former college and NBA player would have a better ability to connect and form good relationships with his players and create a great culture.
Just my thoughts based on what I've seen of the team and read here.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:52 AM ^
And yet Howard was lauded for his work with Bam Adebayo and (can't remember the other big man) in helping them build their skills. So coming in there was seemingly plenty of evidence that he was knowledgeable and could teach (at least big men) and that he was a culture guy (Miami and Fab Five). And it seems like he surrounded himself with other knowledgeable guys.
I don't mean to suggest that things are salvageable (although I suspect they might be but that it's neither worth the risk nor the effort to try), but they probably aren't quite as bad as they appear -- it's clearly more than just 1 or 2 things that need correcting, but whatever the issues are there's probably some systemic relationship among them that compounds them into the results we have seen (or tried our damnedest not to see).
March 13th, 2024 at 12:38 PM ^
There are plenty of coaches in each sport that are fantastic individual skill training guys but are out of their depth leading a program, head coaching, etc.
Juwan may be one of those guys that is simply better at individual skill training but not a great program guy.
Maybe he thought his passion for teaching individual skills could translate to leading a program. He was wrong.
But he can still teach the game, just not from a team perspective. So a really good assistant perhaps, until he learns the machinations of leading a program.
JUB used to seem much more in the know than his current tweeting of a meaningless status update. Oh -- the AD maybe kinda sorta feels slightly more aligned with letting Howard go versus how he felt previously -- HUGE NEWS. Just don't say anything at that point.
just like football season
Every week was a Harbaugh update "no one knows anything".
Cool, cool, why are you here?
I think JUB has a relationship with Harbaugh and some in his inner circle so he's slightly more connected there, even if it's incredibly one-sided in terms of information. But it's been clear for a while now that Warde and his cronies don't feed him a ton of info and (a) Bacon's annoyed with that, and (b) means he's mostly just making stuff up and hoping to get some clicks.
Bacon is destroying his rep by posting these nonsensical cryptic takes
Juwan reports to warde. Warde doesn't have to fight about Howard's job, he just decides.
"inclined" LOL. That is was wishy-washy as anything I've heard from Bacon.
Jon Bacon updates are always "no update here"
How is this any different than what Warde has proven himself to be? He'd rather shit himself than lift the toilet seat.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:10 PM ^
Now there is an image
This just in!!! JUB takes both sides, then claims nobody knows. News at 11.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:44 AM ^
Next report - insiders are saying things are moving in one direction, but still significant possibility of the complete opposite direction.
Now Juwan going to “ shock the world “ and win the Big Ten Tourny …
You have to have a heartbeat as a team to do that. We flatlined a long time ago.
March 13th, 2024 at 10:04 AM ^
I'm just so very tired
March 13th, 2024 at 10:07 AM ^
Weird how almost everybody refers to Manuel, Howard, and Moore by their first names like they know them, but Jim is always "Harbaugh", JB was always "Belein", etc. Even Brandon was never referred to as just "Dave." Funny. It's probably one giant coincidence huh?
March 13th, 2024 at 10:24 AM ^
Most people call Moore, “Moore” or “coach Moore”. I think Juwan is called Juwan cause its a unique name and easily identifiable. No clue on Ward. What about Clinckscale, never heard him called Steve or Hart, never just called Mike. What are you getting at?
March 13th, 2024 at 10:27 AM ^
Against my better judgment, I'm responding.
Hart is always called Hart, not Mike.
Lloyd is often called Lloyd. Also Carr.
RR is never called Rodriguez (nor Rich).
JJ and Cade are almost always called JJ and Cade.
Blake is usually called Blake, sometimes Corum.
Amaker and Ellerbe are always called Amaker and Ellerbe.
Goss is always called Goss...if he's called at all.
Red was always called Red.
Mel was usually called Mel.
People always say Naurato.
Stalions was called Stalions and Connor.
You get the idea.
March 13th, 2024 at 10:36 AM ^
Yea it is entirely coincidence … why? What are you (poorly) trying to allude to?
Clink, Hart, coach Moore, Wink (first name), Campbell, Lloyd (also first name), Partridge, JJ (just guess whether this is first name or last) ….
March 13th, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
Johnathan James McCarthy, not John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt -- an admittedly long handle even considering the children's song reference, becomes simply JJ not his last name, because it's easiest to recall. In the same way, that Denard Robinson isn't referred here by his last name because it's longer than Denard's two slyable first name. And not everyone calls him Shoelace.
Any Tom, Dick or Harry could have played for Michigan but only Tom Brady did. I like Mike, but Hart is more descriptive of the guy we all remember with another one syllable last name as Michigan's all-time rusher and former RB coach.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:07 AM ^
dude that is dumb. While there is plenty of racism in the world, I think this ain't it.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:11 AM ^
Are you serious Juice? First names like Jim, John and Dave necessitate use of last name (alone or with first). Less common first names like Juwan, Warde and Sherrone - not so much!
1.) wut
March 13th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^
Howard has to go but whoever coaches Michigan next is severely handicapped. quality basketball players are much more limited than football and you need to pay to get them. We can’t ever sign a top 150 recruit and should we find a diamond in the rough, they would either go to the NBA or transfer to a NC contender for money like Hunter
March 13th, 2024 at 10:23 AM ^
Question: If JH is rightfully let go after the BTT how much $ is Michigan on the hook for?
March 13th, 2024 at 10:56 AM ^
According to the Free Press, it would be $3 million this year, $2 million next year, and $1 million the year after.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:04 AM ^
Thank you!
March 13th, 2024 at 10:48 AM ^
Maybe the Chargers have a position for Juwan.
March 13th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
What a bum Warde is. Stop being a little bitch and make a hard call for once.
Jesus, ok we get it you guys are friends, well sometimes your friends are terrible at certain things and you need to let them know that, and part ways
he is the definition of soft
March 13th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
I really don't know who looks at someone who has done worse year-over-year, including losing by 30 to Rutgers en route to setting a school record number of losses and thinks "this is our guy!".
And that's not even touching assaulting another coach, Sanderson's resignation, nepotism, and general dysfunction and disarray.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
We have one side of the story with the Sanderson thing. Sanderson filed a formal complaint and they investigated it. My understanding is Sanderson wanted to sit down after he filed the complaint. It doesn’t work like that.
Jace wasn’t the first athlete to have an issue with the medical training staff, nor was Juwan the first parent.
all three could’ve and should’ve handled it better, but Sanderson burned the bridge when he filed the complaint and leaked a narrative that wasn’t quite accurate
March 13th, 2024 at 10:14 PM ^
I think the bridge was burned when his boss tried to kick his ass.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:42 AM ^
With Warde at the helm, expecting quick, logical decisions would be stupid.
March 13th, 2024 at 11:49 AM ^
Michigan media needs to rebuild its credibility. Speculation like this won’t help. I love JUB, but this is trash.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
Well, this news is only relevant because it sets the stage for a Manuel decision once Michigan is sent packing from the Big Ten tournament today and this forgotten season is properly buried. All that is left will be a flowery Juwan funeral.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
Pretty good news for everybody except BoCanham and Sagnasty
I'm hearing Warde and Howard will both be gone soon. Santa may be putting together a list of new AD candidates as we speak.
Let me ask y'all this? Do y'all think Michigan is support the basketball program the way it needs to? Think about who was SUPPOSED to be on this team vs who ACTUALLY is. Juwan was hamstrung big time. We see how he coached with the right talent.
Let's land Jay Wright. He's top shelf.
Would go full Randy Marsh if he was the hire.
That said, I am half-accepting that Howard is unfortunately coming back if Warde stays. Gross.
Well Warde probably need to judge this entire year's worth of work on this critical head to head with PSU tonight.
Sarcasm aside, I wonder if we lose by 15+ if Coaching change could happen, OR if the players "play for the coach" and win the game, if it nudges Warde to keep him.
To me, Warde needs a commitment from Howard to overhaul the program (roster, staff and approach), ala nearly fired Harbaugh, or he has to go.
Bacon doesn't really know shit about what's going on in the AD and definitely doesn't like Warde so take anything he says with that understanding. The whole "we are getting close to nobody knows anything" territory is Bacon most of the time and he seemingly just wants to convince people that everyone is in the same boat.
I'm sure Warde would prefer not to have to fire a guy he hired and had some past success, but he's not an idiot and I assume he's trying to figure out a way to get a break here without hurting Howard's relationship with UM.
Seriously this is not one reason Juwan should be back! Program is a full blown mess.
Going to be almost impossible to let Juwan go after Michigan BBall goes on a 8 game winning streak.