Ten Michigan Men’s Basketball Coaching Candidates After Juwan Howard’s Surprising Dismissal

Alabama’s Nate Oats has ties to the state while Chris Mack could return to coaching with this job opening.

In one of the first true surprises of the men’s college basketball coaching carousel, the Michigan Wolverines parted ways with Juwan Howard on Friday following a miserable 8–24 season.

Despite the record, Howard’s status as a program legend and his success early in his Michigan tenure made it a toss-up whether the Wolverines would make a change. In the end, the program’s downward trend was too obvious to ignore. Missing the NCAA tournament with two top-15 NBA draft picks plus Hunter Dickinson last season was a disaster. Plus, Howard has also been involved in distracting incidents like a run-in with strength coach Jon Sanderson, woes with Michigan admissions and even the on-court dust-up with Wisconsin in 2022.

Where could Michigan go next? Here’s a look at some potential candidates.

Nate Oats, Alabama Crimson Tide

Oats’s lofty buyout figure makes this move likely a non-starter, but the Wolverines have to at least inquire about bringing Oats back to the state. He first made a name for himself in coaching as the head coach of Romulus High School in Michigan, so the fit here is natural. But even if the buyout can be dealt with, would Oats leave what he built at Alabama to restart? It seems unlikely.

Oats has ties to the state of Michigan but may not be ready to leave the Crimson Tide :: Jordan Prather/USA TODAY Sports

Dusty May, Florida Atlantic Owls

May seems to have the inside track with the Ohio State Buckeyes, and could also be involved in the Louisville Cardinals search. It’d make sense for Michigan to at least gauge his interest though as the hottest name in this carousel cycle. His success at Florida Atlantic remains remarkable and gives him a good deal of leverage this cycle.

Niko Medved, Colorado State Rams

If the Wolverines are searching for the next John Beilein, Medved fits the bill. He’s an old-school ball coach who has rebuilt three programs, including yeoman’s work taking the Rams to what will almost assuredly be a second NCAA tournament berth in the last three seasons. He’d get the Wolverines back to developing talent at a high level and seems likely to win if given the resources of a job like Michigan.

Kyle Smith, Washington State Cougars

Smith has a case for National Coach of the Year for the job he has done at Washington State, and he’s in the market for a bigger job this cycle. Amazingly, the last three coaches to take Washington State to the NCAA tournament (George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson and Tony Bennett) went on to win NABC National Coach of the Year at a future school. Is Smith next?

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Chris Collins, Northwestern Wildcats

Collins was floated as a candidate for this job when Michigan hired Howard. This time, his name might be even hotter, coming off what will likely be consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament at Northwestern. Is he interested in a move from the Chicago suburbs? The Michigan job has more upside than Northwestern, if nothing else.

Darian DeVries, Drake Bulldogs

DeVries’s name is hot after winning the MVC tournament for a second straight season. Can he get involved here? He certainly has plenty of ties to the Midwest, and his track record at Drake is fairly unimpeachable outside of not having advanced past the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament.

Josh Schertz, Indiana State Sycamores

A fixture on every carousel list this spring, expect Schertz to get some run here … especially if the Sycamores sneak into the NCAA tournament. His three-year rebuild at Indiana State has been masterful, and his offensive system is a thing of beauty.

Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston Cougars

Kelsey would bring a spark to this Michigan fan base thanks to his unrelenting energy and enthusiasm. Plus, he has the winning track record, rolling to consecutive CAA championships at Charleston and building a winner with the Winthrop Eagles before that.

Drew Valentine, Loyola Chicago Ramblers

As weird as it would be for Michigan to hire someone with so many Michigan State ties, Valentine’s success this season at Loyola makes him worth a mention. The Ramblers shared the A-10 title this season in just their second year in the league, and Valentine also won 25 games in 2021–22 en route to a Missouri Valley tournament title.

Chris Mack, formerly Louisville Cardinals

There’s been plenty of industry speculation that Mack will return to coaching after sitting out the last two seasons. The Vanderbilt Commodores have gotten the majority of the attention as a potential landing spot, but Michigan is a better job. He has a stronger track record of winning at big jobs than the mid-major names on this list, and his tenure at Louisville looks better after Kenny Payne’s horrific tenure.