Juwan Howard’s tenure started strong at Michigan. In his first three seasons, he won national coach of the year, won the Big Ten, and made two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight. But Howard was always plagued by fits of anger both on and off the court. In 2021, he reportedly told former Maryland head coach, Mark Turgeon, that he would “f–king kill [him]” during a heated exchange in the Big Ten Tournament. In 2022, he got into a physical altercation with Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard after a game in Madison. After starting the season on the hot seat he missed the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, which ultimately led to his firing. Now everyone is wondering who will be the next Michigan head coach.
Who Will Be The Next Michigan Head Coach?
John Beilein
The next Michigan head coach could be a former one. Currently, John Beilein is the betting favorite to win the job. Although Beilein left Michigan in 2019, he still has a good relationship with the university. In 2020 and 2021, he returned to the school to teach a course and is frequently at games. He also still lives in the area as he is an advisor for the Detroit Pistons.
His coaching credentials speak for themselves. He has over 800 career wins and has made the national championship twice. The only question is his age. He is 71 and hasn’t coached in four years and many changes have occurred in college basketball since he left. This will be an interesting story to follow as the search narrows down.
Lamont Paris
The other betting favorite for the position is Lamont Paris, who is also rumored for the Ohio State job. Paris has had a great season at South Carolina and is rumored for many high-major jobs throughout the country. He coached in the Big Ten as an assistant at Wisconsin and he is from Ohio. If he wants a homecoming and a pay raise, Paris may want to head to Ann Arbor.
Brian Dutcher
An interesting name that could be the next Michigan head coach is Brian Dutcher of San Diego State. Dutcher has been with the San Diego State Program since 1999 and was named head coach in 2017. During his run as the Aztecs head coach, the team has flourished. They have won multiple Mountain West Championships and made the national championship game in 2023. His 175-56 record is immaculate as well.
Dutcher is also a Michigan native and was an assistant in Ann Arbor for nearly a decade. While it will be hard to leave sunny San Diego, I wouldn’t count him out in the search for the next Michigan head coach.
T.J. Otzelberger
A final name being thrown around for the job is T.J. Otzelberger from Iowa State. Otzelberger is a winner in every sense of the word. His specialty is turning around programs, most notably when he took over Iowa State and made them a tournament team after they won 2 games the year before. He preaches a great defense-first style that would fit well in the Big Ten.
