The Brawl in Madison: Juwan Howard and Greg Gard, the Aftermath

Juwan Howard threw a punch during an on-court skirmish after Wisconsin defeated Michigan, and now there’s much to unravel from the Big 10 basketball game.

Brian Smith | Feb 22, 2022

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MADISON, Wis. - Let’s get a few points out of the way first. Wisconsin defeated Michigan 77-63, and the game was actually tied 31-31 at halftime. Perhaps the latter point would be why Michigan Head Basketball Coach Juwan Howard was already in a foul mood prior to Wisconsin Head Basketball Coach Greg Gard unexpectedly calling a time out with 15 seconds remaining. That, apparently, was the final straw for Coach Howard.

Coach Howard’s team played very poorly in the second half, allowing a very winnable game to end up being a double-digit loss. That stings. All of it came from a bad situation based on expectations, and some poor attitudes, combining in a few moments after the basketball game concluded.

Maybe the overall altercation is the final piece of the puzzle that fits into the overall concern with where Michigan sits in the B10 rankings and could miss the NCAA Tournament? Sure seems like it.

Juwan Howard throws a punch. pic.twitter.com/HiC3y7yKvG
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 20, 2022

The Wolverines are now 14-11 on the season, and just 8-7 in the B10. That after being one of the most talked about teams in the B10 heading into the season.

Yes, they are likely to miss the NCAA Tournament now, much to Coach Howard’s chagrin. Still, that does not forgive any of the following that already transpired between the Michigan Head Coach, as well as everyone else that was involved:

*Coach Howard acted like a teenager for not wanting to shake hands.

*Coach Howard dropped numerous ‘F bombs’ towards multiple people, in front of the free world, when he’s the leader of the University of Michigan Basketball team.

*Coach Howard threw and landed an open-handed punch at a member of the Wisconsin Basketball staff.

*Coach Howard tried to pass off the situation as blame towards Coach Gard and not accepting blame himself, after the fact in the press conference.

*Coach Gard acted stupid enough to grab the arm of a former NBA superstar, who’s much larger than him, by the way, when it’s obvious that Coach Howard was already very upset.

*The ‘suck it’ gesture from a member of Wisconsin’s coaching staff. Are you 14 years old?

*Players from both teams fighting after the adults could not control themselves. Some will say it’s expected, but that does not mean it’s good for any player (or coach, for that matter) to start and/or extend the fisticuffs. It’s just not acceptable.

What Happened Next: Let's Talk Suspensions, Repercussions

Coach Howard – This is a total no-win. Did Michigan need to suspend Howard for five games, i.e. the rest of the regular season? Probably a good idea. With that stated, it’s unfortunate that the Michigan players will not have their Head Coach on the sidelines down the stretch. They did not sign up for that, but that’s what they will receive.

Coach Gard – Surprised by no suspension. When you place your hands on another man after he’s visibly heated, it’s generally a very bad idea. Coach Gard knows better. A simple $10,000 fine? That’s not going to do anything to him. He’s a multi-millionaire. Yeah, like he’s going to care. That’s somewhat similar to a middle class person taking a friend to a fast food restaurant and picking up the tab.

Long-Term: Coach Howard

Does he continue to be a coach that’s respected and can recruit at a high level? Will Michigan boosters back him wholeheartedly? What will his players think? Same with his assistant coaches?

There may not be solid answers to any one of those after the melee in Madison. It will take time to unravel. Hopefully Coach Howard improves his attitude and actions, and the following statement from the Michigan Head Coach is now on record stating that he in fact will improve:

“After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were, and how they affected so many. I am truly sorry.”

“I am offering my sincerest apology to my players and their families, my staff, my family and the Michigan fans around the world. I would like to personally apologize to Wisconsin’s assistant coach Joel Krabbenhoft and his family, too.”

“Lastly, I speak a lot about being a Michigan man and representing the University of Michigan with class and pride. I did not do that, nor did I set the right example in the right way for my student-athletes. I will learn from my mistake and this mistake will never happen again. No excuses!”

– Juwan Howard

Long-Term: Coach Gard

There’s nothing to really say that’s positive. Wisconsin and the B10 failed to take appropriate actions against Coach Gard. Again, he just cannot place his hands on Howard like he did. The lack of a suspension is going to allow situations like this to fester in the future. Bad on the University of Wisconsin, bad on the B10.

Final Thoughts

For any fan that watched Howard during his time as a player at the University of Michigan or thereafter, it’s a shame to see this type of situation come about. It did, however, and now it can be a teaching point for people of all ages.

We are all fallible. All each person can do is move forward and learn from what transpired in Madison. Hopefully Coach Howard and every person involved in the brawl takes a few moments to learn from it themselves, first and foremost. Further, hopefully other coaches and players do not follow along the same path that led to such an unfortunate situation.

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