As if losing to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t frustrating enough, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard had to answer a very oddly-phrased question about his job security in Ann Arbor.
It was Charles Hallman of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder who asked Howard if he feels that he has been put on the “hot seat by the white media.” Hallman sought Howard’s feelings on being one of three Black coaches in the Big Ten right now who are on the hot seat and if he could speak on it further.
“There’s three Black coaches in this conference and throughout the season, each one of you has been put on a hot seat by the white media. I’m hoping that you survive this because we know black coaches sometimes don’t. But can you speak on just the fact that the three of you are doing the job that you’ve been hired to do, representing as coaches. There was black kids in the stands today that got to see you coach and will see the other two black coaches during this tournament. Can you just speak on that?” Hallman asked.
Howard embraced the question, stating that he was heavily impacted as a young man by the coaches that he played for and inspired him. He said that he made it a priority to get his degree in order to inspire other members of his family and his community to get the education they need.
“Well, I got into coaching because I remember how my coaches impacted me as I grew. When I touched — let’s call it what it is. When I first touched campus on the University of Michigan, how Steve Fisher and his staff helped me in so many ways to become a graduate student at one of the prestigious universities, speaking of the University of Michigan,” Howard replied.
“Coming as a kid from the inner city, being the first in my family to receive my degree. Promising my grandmother, no matter what, my goal is to make it to the NBA and take care of our family, but I promise you I’m going to get my education to inspire my family members and also others that come from our community that they can do the same thing.”
Hallman has come under fire for asking the question in the first place, but he has firmly defended his decision to ask the question on X .
Howard is coming off an 8-24 season that could very well see him fired or forced to part ways with his beloved Wolverines in the days to come.