   BREAKING NEWS ; Michigan coach return from heart surgery.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan: At the Crisler Center on Saturday afternoon, Juwan Howard won his first game as head coach of C, as the C defeated Eastern Michigan, 83-66.
Before the game, the home crowd gave Howard a standing ovation. Howard had surgery on his chest earlier in the season and had returned as an assistant coach last month. For the second consecutive game, Jon Sanderson, the strength and conditioning coach with whom Howard got into a heated argument last week, was not on the U-M bench.
After the victory, Howard talked with the media. By doing this, he spoke in public for the first time since the C’ defeat in the 2023 NIT’s second round. The U-M coach discussed his health, the program’s current situation, and other topics as follows:
I’m grateful to everyone that attended. The pressers are my favorite time of day. It’s nice to recognize a few faces. Unbelievably, I also gave you guys a lot of thought. It’s also a blessing. It is a true blessing. I must first give thanks to God and University of Michigan Medical for my doctors, Dr. Patel and his team, and the nurses. Throughout my recuperation, I have had the pleasure of working with so many lovely nurses. Additionally, I want to thank my wife, who is the best nurse I have. She was there with me the entire first day, even though I was unaware that she had attended medical school. Being with my spouse: It’s such a lovely experience to have her here.
In addition, I want to express my gratitude to my players for their support through texts, phone calls, and cards. I also like to thank the coaching staff very much: Jay Smith, the coach, did an excellent job while my absence. Jaaron Simmons,C Jay Smith, and Saddi Washington. Managers abound in number. Numerous members of the support staff have stood by my side and offered assistance throughout my absence. Additionally, I hope that everyone felt as though I had never left.
Being the head coach of the University of Michigan men’s basketball team means that I get to be on the sidelines again, something I love doing. I love the Maize and Blue, the energy in the building, the presence of the fans, and being able to call timeouts, create plays, and yell and shout at the team
I can still recall those moments when I would sit in my hospital room and wonder aloud if I would ever get the chance to do that. And it’s the folks I said before, the Michigan supporters who prayed for me every day, the NBA basketball family, my former teammates, people in Chicago, and the people I grew up with that prayed for me. You never know: I had a ton of people rooting for me. And that’s what got me through the process; I never doubted it. It did, in fact.
While I was away, I had some time to think late at night. You folks are undoubtedly asleep when you talk at three, four, and five in the morning, but I’m awake and listening to the heart monitor beep. Additionally, medical personnel are entering my room and taking vital signs as part of their duties. I’m having trouble falling back asleep right now. But basketball is one of the things I consider. I think about it constantly.
I’m constantly thinking, “Well, how can you have a growth mindset?” What are some of the most crucial elements your team needs in order to advance? How are you going to confront them? As employees, what are some ways we can be the best versions of ourselves for them? And those are the things that are on my mind.
I’m constantly thinking, “Well, how can you have a growth mindset?” What are some of the most crucial elements your team needs in order to advance? How are you going to confront them? As employees, what are some ways we can be the best versions of ourselves for them? And those are the things that are on my mind.
