Michigan Basketball: 3 reasons why Wolverines 2023-24 season has been a disaster

3. Distractions involving Juwan Howard have impacted the program negatively

To be very clear, I’m not talking about the time he took away from the program recovering from heart surgery. But now that he’s cleared, there’s no reason he should EVER, give up head coaching duties for a must-win game like Sunday to an assistant. There are other ways to honor Coach Martelli that don’t affect the actual game.

It’s just been headline after headline. Reportedly, Coach Howard was in hot water due to a dispute with an assistant on the staff that required human resources to get involved. The other past things are notable but the “distractions” have been an issue. 

Throughout the offseason, it was reported that his frustrations with NIL/admissions have reached a point where he may want to leave after this season. Considering how bad the team looks right now, that decision may not be his anymore. 

With one son off to the NBA and another currently hurt in his senior year, the timing could be right for all parties to part ways. With how everyone is acting, it’s hard to argue that’s not how it’s heading. That also means that the season is over because everyone is already planning their next respective moves. If a Maryland team that has issues of its own beats them, look for more news to come out of Ann Arbor about how negative the situation has become.