He intends to. Howard was adamant about that after Michigan’s home loss to Michigan State on Feb. 17. That he had open-heart surgery on Sep. 15 didn’t change his feelings; neither had a frustrating season.
“I am bought in,” he said then. “I love this place and I love our players and I never ran or never quit in my life.”
That was still the case after Wednesday’s game. “My answer hasn’t changed,” he said.
Howard is under contract for the next two seasons due to an extension he signed in November of 2021. Should he get fired before July 1, Michigan would owe him $3 million (it drops to $2 million that next year).
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, who hired Howard in 2019, was inside the Target Center on Wednesday. “It’s not the season we expected,” Manuel said, referring to himself, Howard, and the players.
“If there’s any takeaway, it’s that their effort level …