According to the University of Michigan, head coach Juwan Howard is bringing one of his former coaches.
Michigan is reporting that Howard has hired Jay Smith as the Wolverines’ director of player personnel and development.
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Smith served as an assistant coach at Michigan from 1989-1996, which includes the time Howard and his Fab Five teammates were in Ann Arbor.
From Michigan:
“There are many people who have helped me throughout my career; however, Jay Smith is someone special who I have a deep connection with and the utmost respect for,” said Howard. “He has such an incredible passion for the game, and his ability to relate with young men is going to be something invaluable for us. We are very fortunate to have him return to Ann Arbor and join our staff.”
“There are always interesting twists in this game,” said Smith. “That can be said for this situation. I have been through plenty over the last few years and loved the opportunity Kalamazoo trusted in me. However, the chance to help out Juwan and return to Michigan is something my family and I are excited about and thankful for.”
Prior to his return to Ann Arbor, Smith spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Kalamazoo College (2016-19). In his first season, he guided the Hornets to a four-win improvement, and in his third he guided the Hornets to a tie for sixth place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the program’s best finish since 2011.
In addition to hiring Smith, Howard also retained Chris Hunter as the program’s director of basketball operations and hired added David Metzendorf as video analyst and Jaaron Simmons as graduate manager.
