To say that things aren’t going well for the Michigan Basketball program would be a bit of an understatement. In fact, it’s hard to imagine it getting much worse than it is right now.

The Wolverines are the only team in the conference with a losing record at home (4-5), they’re currently dead last in conference play at 2-5, and they have the worst overall record in the conference at 7-11. On top of that, starting point guard Dug McDaniel (the team’s leading scorer) is currently suspended for all away games ‘until further notice’ according to head coach Juwan Howard.

Speaking of Howard, Michigan’s head basketball coach returned to the court earlier this season after missing the first 10 games as he continued his recovery from heart surgery during the off-season. Since his return, the Wolverines are a dismal 2-6, and there’s no indication that the team can turn things around in the near future.

Beyond the issues on the court, Howard once again found himself at the center of controversy this season when he had a reported altercation with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. The incident led Sanderson to file a complaint with U-M officials, although further investigation into the incident didn’t result in any punishment for Howard according to Athletic Director Warde Manuel.

There’s no denying that the general consensus among the fan base is that it’s time to move on from Howard as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, which would certainly be an unfortunate way for his coaching career to end in Ann Arbor. After a promising start that resulted in a Big Ten regular season championship back in 2021, the basketball program has been on the decline year after year. Howard has struggled to recruit (and retain) top-level talent, and the Wolverines failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament last season (2022-23). In addition to the basketball-related issues, Howard’s tendency to lose his cool has put him in hot water on a number of occasions during his five seasons at Michigan.

Barring a miraculous turnaround this season, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see a scenario where Juwan Howard would remain as Michigan’s head coach beyond this season.