Tom GantertMadison, WI – University of Michigan Coach Juwan Howard threw a punch at a Wisconsin basketball coach on Sunday and started a massive brawl between both Big Ten teams on the court (video below).
The incident occurred in the handshake line at the end of the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Michigan Wolverines on Feb. 20, the New York Post reported.
Videos filmed from all different angles of the court showed a pretty good picture of what happened.
First, Howard encountered Wisconsin Head Coach Greg Gard and started yelling at him, the video showed.
Howard was angry because Gard had called two time outs in the last minute of the game, according to the New York Post.
The second time out was called with 15 seconds left in the game and Wisconsin up by 15 points.
The Badgers beat the Wolverines by 14 points, 77 to 63.
“I’ll remember that s–t,” Howard told Gard, according to a close-up video from WKOW.
The video showed Gard put his hand on Howard’s arm to stop him and tried to explain why he had taken the time out.
“Don’t f–king touch me,” Howard yelled repeatedly at Gard.
Caution: Unedited, NSFW language.
Here’s my full raw look at the events that led to the postgame brawl following the 77-63 #Wisconsin win over #Michigan.
You can see Juwan Howard say “I’ll remember that” to Greg Gard, who said tried explaining himself. pic.twitter.com/stBbFIGqTJ
— Pablo Iglesias (@PabloIglesiasTV) February 20, 2022
Other coaches tried to intervene and eventually, the videos clearly showed Howard took a swing at Wisconsin Assistant Coach Joe Krabbenhoft and punched him in the face.
That was when players started throwing punches, too, and there was a giant kerfuffle on the court.
Video clearly showed the Wolverines’ Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams and the Badgers’ Jahcobi Neath throwing punches at other players, among others, ESPN reported.
WHOA JUWAN HOWARD JUST PUNCHED THE OPPOSING COACH! pic.twitter.com/X5jYw338mD
— Barstool OSU (@BarstoolOSU) February 20, 2022
Afterwards, Howard refused to apologize for the incident and pointed the blame for altercation at Gard, the New York Post reported.
“Someone touched me, and I think it was very uncalled for, for them to touch me, as we were verbalizing and communicating with one another,” Howard told reporters. “That’s what escalated it.”
He defended his decision to become violent as a response to Wisconsin continuing to try to beat Michigan in the last minute of the game.
“I didn’t like the timeout they called, and I’m being totally honest with you,” Howard told CNN. “I thought it was not necessary at that moment, especially with it being a large lead. … I thought that wasn’t fair to our guys. And so that’s what happened.”
The Big Ten released a statement to ESPN.
“The Big Ten Conference is aware of a physical altercation involving Michigan Head Coach Juwan Howard at the conclusion of the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball game,” the statement read. ‘The conference is in contact with both member institutions and is currently assessing the incident. The conference will provide more information and will take swift and appropriate disciplinary action when it completes its review.”
University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said that he and his university’s president, Mary Sue Coleman, had both apologized to the University of Wisconsin for their coach’s behavior, MLive reported.
“I am aware of and watched the end of our men’s basketball game,” Manuel said. “There is no excuse for any of our staff or student-athletes to get into a physical altercation with others regardless of instigating factors.”
Holly Matkin
