Getty Image / David Berding
On paper, it makes some sense to bring back an alum and former NBA star to lead a college basketball program. After all, they know the game, they know the university, and their NBA career should theoretically give them clout on the recruiting trail.
But, after Juwan Howard was fired by Michigan on Friday, it’s become increasingly clear that hiring those former NBA stars is not necessarily the best way to go.
The member of Michigan’s famed “Fab Five” was let go after a disastrous season in Ann Arbor. Michigan went 8-24, and the season was more bizarre than their record, for multiple reasons. After making the Elite Eight in his second year back in 2021, things completely fell apart for Juwan Howard at Michigan.
He joins the trend of failed NBA stars as college head coaches at their alma mater.
Jerry Stackhouse and Juwan Howard both out.
Penny Hardaway and Mike Woodson both struggling.
Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing were awful.
When will these AD’s learn?
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 15, 2024
You could make a pretty good starting five out of those names! Sadly, they’ve been much worse as coaches than players. And, it’s not like these coaches, other than Stackhouse, were given the keys to bad programs. These are all top 25 programs historically, and these coaches have just been miserable at these spots.
It turns out, it takes more than being very good at playing basketball to be very good at coaching it. Plus, college coaching is about so much more than just coaching basketball. You’ve got to recruit, deal with the transfer portal and NIL, fundraise, and navigate internal politics. That’s a pretty far cry from life in the NBA.
Hopefully, schools will start looking towards successful mid-major coaches to hire instead of high-profile alums with minimal coaching experience.