It was an ugly scene in Wisconsin on February 20 following the matchup on the hardwood between the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers that saw Michigan fall to a disappointing 14-11 mark on the season. A melee broke out after head coach Juwan Howard erupted in fury and threw an attempted punch that connected with a Wisconsin assistant coach’s head.
Several players got in on the action, including Michigan’s Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams before the two sides were ultimately separated. Howard would then double down on his actions in the post-game press conference, saying that he needed to protect himself while refusing to apologize. Howard was then subsequently suspended for the rest of Michigan’s regular-season schedule and fined $40,000, while assistant coach Phil Martelli would take over in his stead.
Today, Howard has officially been reinstated and will be meeting individually with each player on the roster, per a team spokesman.
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Of course, Howard’s return to the team wasn’t set in stone upon his suspension.
According to a team statement, “all parties will meet to make a final decision prior to the Big Ten Tournament and any postseason participation.”
Howard would later offer the following apology:
“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 Joe 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!”
The Wolverines went 3-2 in Howard’s absence, including losses to Illinois and Iowa while taking down Rutgers and Michigan State capped by a decisive victory over the rival Ohio State Buckeyes in their regular-season finale.
The No. 8 Wolverines will face No. 9 seeded Indiana at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in a Big Ten quarterfinal in Indianapolis.
