Jordi Fernandez turned to former Michigan State head coach and former Heat assistant Juwan Howard to make the next addition to the Nets’ coaching staff. According to ESPN.
Howard, who joins Steve Hetzel as the first assistant hired by Fernandez, coached the Wolverines for five seasons before parting ways with the Wolverines in March following an 8-24 season.
During his time at Michigan, Howard, a member of the program’s legendary Fab Five in the 1990s, became known as a polarizing coach as multiple conflicts surfaced during his tenure.
In February 2022, he slapped a Wisconsin assistant coach during a handshake line and was suspended for the remainder of the regular season.
Then, in December, another incident surfaced involving Howard and strength and conditioning coach John Sanderson. This time it is said to be related to a disagreement over the status of Howard’s son, a member of the team who was unable to play due to injury. According to The Athleticit had to do with why he wasn’t acquitted.
However, the Wolverines also had a lot of success under Howard.
After missing the NCAA Tournament in its first season, the University of Michigan appeared in the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 the next two years.
However, after reaching the regional semifinals in 2022, they went 26-40 the next two seasons, missing the tournament both years.
Fernandez, who was previously an associate head coach with the Kings, was hired as interim head coach by Kevin Ollie and said at his inauguration press conference that he expects to see “results quickly” for the Nets.
“It’s important for this industry to get results and improve,” Fernandez told reporters earlier this week. “So, how much better will it get? We believe the process is important. We know there are proper steps to take and we will see improvement right away.”
“But the most important thing for me is to believe in team success more than individual success.”
