Howard spoke with reporters following the win. In doing so, he made his first public comments since the Wolverines lost in the second round of the 2023 NIT. Here is what the U-M coach said about his health, the state of the program and more
Juwan Howard: Opening statement
Thank you all for coming. This is my favorite time — the pressers. It’s good to see some familiar faces. Believe it or not, I thought about you guys a lot too. And it’s a blessing. It’s truly a blessing. Have to thank God first, also giving a big, big shout-out to University of Michigan Medical, my doctors, Dr. Patel and his crew, the nurses.
Following the victory, Howard spoke with reporters. He was making his first public comments since the Wolverines were eliminated in the second round of the 2023 NIT. Here’s what the University of Michigan coach had to say about his health, the state of the program, and other topics:
Juwan Howard: Introduction
Thank you very much for attending. The pressers are my favorite part of the day. It’s nice to see some old friends. I thought about you guys a lot, believe it or not. And it’s a good thing. It certainly is a blessing. First and foremost, I want to thank God. I also want to thank the University of Michigan Medical Center, my doctors, Dr. Patel and his team, and the nurses.There have been so many kind nurses who have helped me during my rehabilitation. I’d also like to thank my wife, who is the best nurse I’ve ever had. And I had no idea she went to medical school, but she was with me from the first day to the last. Having my wife by my side: What a wonderful feeling to have her support.
I’d also like to thank my teammates for their help, including text messages, phone calls, and cards. In addition, I’d like to thank the coaching staff: Coach Phil Martelli, thank you for doing an excellent job while I was away. Saddi Washington, Howard Eisley, Jay Smith, and Jaaron Simmons are among the cast members. There are numerous managers. There have been so many support staff members who have had my back and helped me while I’ve been away. And I trust that everyone thought I was never gone when I was gone.
To be back on the sidelines, which is something I enjoy doing as head coach of the University of Michigan men’s basketball team: I just love the Maize and Blue and the energy of the building, as well as seeing the fans in attendance, and to be there yelling and shouting, calling timeouts, and drawing up plays.
I recall being in my hospital room and wondering, “Will I ever have that opportunity again?” And it’s the folks I said earlier, along with the Michigan fans, who prayed for me on a daily basis, receiving prayers from the NBA basketball family, old teammates, people back home in Chicago, and people I grew up with praying for me. You never know: I had so many people rooting for me. And I never questioned that, but it was what got me through the process. It truly did.
I’m delighted to be here in front of you right now. And I’m excited to continue on this trip.
On how his time away affected his perspective on coaching and life:
I had the opportunity to reflect late at night when I was away. You’re talking about 3 or 4 a.m., when you’re probably sleeping and I’m up, listening to the heart monitor beep. And there are medical personnel entering my room, doing their job of taking vital signs. It’s taking me a while to get back to sleep now. But one of the things that comes to mind is basketball. It will never leave my mind.
‘Okay, so how can you have a growth mindset?’ I constantly wonder. What are some of the most critical things your team requires to grow? How can you go up against them? What are some of the things that we can do as a staff to be the greatest version of ourselves for them?’ And those are my current thoughts.
But I also had ideas like, ‘Okay, do I want to continue this basketball journey while putting my health first?’
I took my time throughout the process.
I’m just relieved that I discovered the issue. I’ve always been obstinate; I used to be an athlete, and we were encouraged to suck it up. Take a deep breath and keep pushing yourself when you feel discomfort or are out of breath. And there was a point when I was out of breath and thought to myself, ‘Okay, well, I know how I’m supposed to feel,’and I don’t feel normal.’ And I’m simply glad I wasn’t being stubborn at the time. I requested a doctor’s appointment and discovered something that terrified me. I have another word that I could use right now, but I don’t want to be bleeped. But it terrified me.
And I had no idea what I was in for because basketball had been my entire life. But when I heard “open heart surgery,” I thought, “Okay, bring it on.” I’m dealing with another scenario. I can’t get away from it, therefore this is how it is.’ And it is the athlete mentality I possess.
Other than three broken noses, I had never had a severe operation while playing in the NBA or college. But to undergo open heart surgery, and then to recover from it, I was like, ‘Whoa!’ I felt like I’d been run over by a Mack truck.
It took some time: I was in the hospital for 15 days. Fifteen! And those 15 days gave me the opportunity to reflect on how desperately I want to get healthy. Am I going to bury my face in a puddle and feel sorry for myself? Or will I toughen up, roll up my sleeves, and declare, ‘You know what? There is no time to start feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s work out how to become in shape.’
In order to return to coaching, he had to meet the following criteria:
I’m not 100%. I’m not sure what 100% means when it comes to teaching.
I’m at a point in my life where I’m well enough to return to the sidelines. We’ve been 12 weeks — passed the 12-week mark — since my operation on September 15. I still go to physical therapy three days a week, which is excellent for me.
What does the return to the sidelines look like during the stages of return? When I asked my doctor about it, he replied, ‘Well, I believe it’s smart that we do it in stages.’
And perhaps we can begin by going into a practice and watching a practice from the PDC [Player Development Center] up above where we have our suite, balcony area. And maybe from the stands if you’re practicing in Crisler. So that’s what I did. I tried it for two and a half practices. And it felt fantastic. It felt amazing just to see the players and staff. There were moments when our staff would phone to check on me and such, but being back in the gym felt like a treat. And I fully welcomed it.
The next step was for me to be able to observe a practice. I was exhausted as I sat in on my first practice. I was exhausted. But I got stronger and stronger each week. And the next step was to sit at a practice and possibly have a voice — to add to the teaching aspect of it. I worked my way up for a few weeks, and then, right before we traveled to the Bahamas, the next stage was running a practice and being the man that does a lot of the teaching.
Of course, I always trust my helpers, but I didn’t want to trip on their toes while also being courteous of everyone, especially the players. So when I went to The Bahamas and was able to sit on the bench and feel the atmosphere, when I went to Oregon, it felt more like a college setting, and when I got to Iowa, it felt more like a high school setting. ‘You know what?’ I said. I’m prepared. ‘I’m prepared to do this.’ And I was quite happy with the return timetable.
Concerning the event involving Jon Sanderson:
I’ll simply repeat what Warde said: Take a look at his statement. I believe it was apparent. It was exact. And there is still a review going on right now.
Regarding Jon Sanderson’s standing with the University of Michigan basketball team:
I’m not certain. I would strongly advise you to reconsider Warde’s statement. That, of course, will answer any questions you may have.
