It’s not all that often that a top-tier college basketball program flips its identity in late May, but here we are. Michigan will transition from John Beilein to Juwan Howard, marking a shift from a coach with 40 years of college coaching experience to someone who hasn’t ever coached in college and hasn’t been a head coach at any level (no, NBA Summer League doesn’t count.)
The decision to hire Howard, made by fourth-year AD Warde Manuel, signals a profound shift for a Michigan program that’s been winning at an elite level. In choosing Howard, Manuel—who originally said he wanted to hire someone with experience as a head coach—has made a culture choice as much as an X’s and O’s one.