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The University of Michigan’s head men's basketball coach, Juwan Howard, slapped Joe Krabbenhoft, a University of Wisconsin at Madison assistant coach, in the head during the postgame handshake line, leading to a scrum between the two teams, The New York Times reported.
The altercation followed Wisconsin’s 77-to-63 victory over Michigan Sunday afternoon.
Howard was angry over Wisconsin calling a time-out as the game was finishing, with Wisconsin way ahead.
There are already calls for Michigan to fire Howard.
The Big Ten announced that Howard would be suspended for five games, the rest of the regular season, and would also pay a fine of $40,000. “Our expectation is that the incident yesterday will provide our coaches and student athletes with the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that demonstrates decorum and leadership on and off of the court,” said Commissioner Kevin Warren of the Big Ten.
Howard issued an apology Monday night. “After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were, and how they affected so many. I am truly sorry,” he said. “I am offering my sincerest apology to my players and their families, my staff, my family and the Michigan fans around the world. I would like to personally apologize to Wisconsin’s assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft and his family, too. Lastly, I speak a lot about being a Michigan man and representing the University of Michigan with class and pride. I did not do that, nor did I set the right example in the right way for my student athletes. I will learn from my mistake and this mistake will never happen again. No excuses!”
