Just a day after announcing that Jordi Fernandez would be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, another hiring announcement has been made. Fernandez is reportedly adding former University of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard as an assistant, per ESPN.
Howard's coaching career started after he retired from the NBA in 2013 following a 19-year career that included winning two championships with the Miami Heat in his final two years in the league as well as an All-Star nod and All-NBA and All-Rookie honors. He immediately joined Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra's staff as an assistant, and following six years with the Heat, he took the head coaching job at his alma mater where he was a member of the lauded Fab Five at the University of Michigan.
Over the five years Howard was at Michigan, he compiled a 87-72 record, and coached the Wolverines to two March Madness appearances where they went as far as the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. However, following back-to-back disappointing seasons without postseason appearances, Howard was fired by Michigan in March. In his last season with the Wolverines, the team posted a 8-24 record, their worst since his hiring in 2019.
Now, though, after spending time in the collegiate ranks, Howard will return to the pro level under first time head coach Fernandez. The Nets new coach took the Brooklyn job after spending six years under Michael Malone in Denver, and most recently as an associate head coach under Mike Brown in Sacramento.
Though Howard is returning to the NBA as an assistant, teams have shown interest in him becoming a head coach in the past. The Lakers reportedly viewed him as their top option back in 2022 before they hired Darvin Ham, but Howard, turned down the opportunity as he instead opted to stay at Michigan for a chance to coach both of his sons.
With Howard is back in the NBA, he will be joining a coaching staff that has a lot of work to do in order to turn around a Nets team that went 32-50 this season, and missed the Play-In Tournament by four games.
