Juwan Howard Fired by Michigan; Join Son Jett with Magic?

The Michigan Wolverines fired coach Juwan Howard. Could he be hired by the Orlando Magic a year after the team drafted his son Jett?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 15, 2024

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ORLANDO - Juwan Howard is looking for a new job after the Michigan Wolverines fired him on Friday.

Howard, 51, led the Wolverines to the Elite Eight in 2021, but regressed in each year after that. Michigan fell to the bottom of the Big Ten this season with just three wins in conference play.

Now, Howard could be looking for work, and the Orlando Magic could make sense as a destination.

Juwan Howard — Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Howard's son, Jett, was drafted by the Magic with the No. 11 overall pick last summer, and his presence could help him develop further. Howard also coached Franz Wagner and Caleb Houstan at Michigan, two players who are under contract with the Magic for next season.

It's clear that the Magic appreciates what the Michigan program has to offer, and Howard embodies that.

Joining the Magic coaching staff would be a return to the Sunshine State for Howard, who was an assistant coach under Erik Spoelstra for the Miami Heat from 2013-19. He also won two championships as a player in the final years of his playing career in 2012 and 2013.

During his 19-year playing career, Howard played the 2003-04 season with the Magic, averaging 17 points per game before being traded in the infamous Tracy McGrady deal with the Houston Rockets.

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On top of all of this, the Magic have a small vacancy on staff. Assistant coach Nate Tibbetts left the team during training camp to join the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, so Howard could step in and provide some familiarity with some players currently on the roster.

Published Mar 15, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.