97.1 The Ticket -- A week after John Beilein's departure for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Michigan basketball coaching search is heating up.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will reportedly be meeting with former Wolverine and member of the Fab Five Juwan Howard on Tuesday, according to The Michigan Insider.
Howard, who played at Michigan from 1991-1994, has been an assistant coach for the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra since 2013. Howard's name was quick to pop up as a candidate, but has gained steam over the last few days.
Though he has no coaching experience at the collegiate level, many have been quick to endorse Howard for the job -- including some of his Fab Five teammates.
Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and Jimmy King have all gone on record saying Michigan should hire Howard.
"Now that there's a vacant job in Ann Arbor, let's do a blank canvas as to who should be the No. 1 candidate," Rose said on ESPN. "To me, that should be a no brainer. There's a guy named Juwan Howard that's from Chicago. He's going to be able to help recruit that market. All-American in high school, came to the University of Michigan and was a member of the Fab Five. He was the first person to sign their Letter of Intent. In theory, he also helped recruit each one of us. He was always the adult in the room amongst us."
Several prominent names from outside the Michigan family -- including Jay Williams and Reggie Miller -- have also endorsed Howard for the gig. Replacing a coaching icon like Beilein, who returned Michigan basketball to relevance with nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 years, five trips to the Sweet 16 and two appearances in the national championship game, will be a tall task.
While Howard hasn't proven himself as a college coach, he certainly has clout, both as a coach and potentially as a college recruiter. Howard reportedly interviewed for the Minnesota Timberwolves head coaching job. With his storied past as a Wolverine, he could be able to draw top-tier talent to Ann Arbor.
Michigan is also reportedly considering Butler head coach LaVall Jordan, who was an assistant under Beilein from 2010-2016 and was instrumental in recruiting the players that took Michigan to its first Final Four in two decades in 2013. He was also big in the development of Trey Burke during his time at Michigan.
