Juwan Howard, A True Basketball Guy: Doesn't Have Time For Doubters Because He Wakes Up In The Middle Of The Night Thinking About Plays
[Source] - "Of course I’ve heard it,” Howard said. “You’re trying to get me to make this — no, I’m not saying you’re trying to get me. I’m not here to make this a big issue. I just want to tell you this: I’ve always been very, extremely competitive since I started playing sports, whether it was basketball, baseball. I didn’t play competitive football, but in our neighborhood, we did play against each neighborhood’s park in football, where it was tackle football with no equipment. That level of mental toughness has prepared me for whatever has been thrown in my direction.
“Yeah, I hear the doubters. I’m not gonna sit here like I don’t hear the noise before I got hired. And also, still, to this day, I hear the backhanded compliments.
“Yeah, I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about plays, thinking about defensive situations, thinking about how I can get better, how I can help prepare the team. People always doubt or have their (own) opinions. And they have every right to their opinion.”
Sometimes you can't help when you start to develop feelings for people and that's how I feel about Juwan Howard right now. He's QUICKLY climbing up my coaching ranks. I love everything about his style. He's recruiting his ass off, he's coaching his ass off, he's winning and he's dropping quotes left and right. He's a true basketball guy through and through. Oh you think he just climbs into bed, turns the fan on high, TV set to two hours sleep timer and closes his eyes for a solid 8-9 hours? Absolutely not. He's got the hammer set to dream of. He's got the double ball screen and horns and a hi-lo set running through his mind. He wakes up and immediately jots down a new defensive trap.
I get that there were doubts of Howard when Michigan hired him. There isn't a great trend of guys with no college coaching experience coming from the NBA and having a ton of success. Then there were doubts when he cried at his press conference - I don't know why, I love that sort of emotion.
More importantly, I love that Howard heard all those doubters and is telling them he doesn't give a fuck. I say it all the time, but I want coaches to be open with quotes like Howard is here. Don't give the cliche quote, say that you hear it and you're using it as motivation. Don't go the Stackhouse route of blocking people. Embrace it. I've said it before but Howard handled Michigan exactly like he should. He kept Saddi Washington on staff, he brought in Phil Martelli. He's combining collegiate experience, recruiting and his name. That's why Michigan is the 3rd best team in the country right now in his second year. The guy coaches his ass off.
Juwan Howard, a football guy's basketball guy.