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Wolverines' Juwan Howard throws a punch at Badgers' coach, fans say 'he shouldn't be fired'

Howard caught attacking Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft as post-game handshake turns into a brawl at the Kohl Center in Madison

A massive brawl broke out between the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers after their game at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on February 20, 2022. Security had to intervene after players and staff from both teams got extremely physical, with the altercation appearing to start due to the actions of Wolverines coach Juwan Howard. Footage now going viral on social media shows Howard taking a swing at Badgers assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.

Howard is seen attempting to throw an open-faced punch at Krabbenhoft, as the two teams were shaking hands at the conclusion of their game. The game ended  77-63 in favor of the Badgers after a timeout was called by Badgers coach Greg Gard with just 15 seconds left on the clock. Clearly furious, Howard had some words for Gard, but really took his frustration out on Krabbenhoft. 

Things escalated quickly but were also brought under control without the need for extreme measures, unlike back in December 2021. Security had to deploy tear gas to break up a fight at the 49th John Wall Holiday Invitational in North Carolina. After Howard hit Krabbenhoft, players from both teams also jumped into the fray, before they were eventually separated. At the postgame presser, Howard said he only slapped Krabbenhoft because "Someone touched me, and I think it was very uncalled for."

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has already been notified about the situation, which is likely to have severe repercussions for the Wolverines. "There's no room, no space for conduct like that in any competition, much less a Big Ten competition," said Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel issued an apology for the brawl, saying, "There is no excuse for any of our staff or student-athletes to get into a physical altercation with others regardless of instigating factors." 

However, Howard has firmly refused to apologize for his actions. The longtime NBA star could be in serious trouble, with The Big Ten noting "swift and appropriate disciplinary action," would be coming. Notably, this isn't Howard's first incident. In 2021, he got into a shouting match with Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, but was held back by his team from turning things physical. 

'It wasn't "lose your job" wrong'

On social media though, users were quick to defend Howard's actions, while others just found the entire situation funny. "Y’all acting like Juwan Howard stormed the capitol or something," one person joked. Another noted, "Juwan Howard is a gentleman. But never forget he’s from Chicago’s south side…" A third commented, "Some of y’all calling for Juwan Howard to be fired is crazy as hell. We’ve seen MUCH worse incidents in CBB but sure let’s go with that."

"Juwan Howard should absolutely NOT be fired," one person commented. Echoing that sentiment, another said, "Juwan Howard was wrong but it wasn't "lose your job" wrong." In contrast, one person tweeted, "I’m truly amazed at the number of people that don’t think Juwan Howard should be suspended. He is supposed to be a role model and he is the leader of one of the biggest programs at one of the finest universities in America. To whom much is given much is expected."

Others were also critical of Howard, with one person saying, "Juwan Howard should be suspended the rest of the season. He shouldn’t but fired, but suspended to send the message. He should have just skipped the line if he was on 100." Another reacted to the video with "UGLY from Juwan Howard." Another declared, "Juwan Howard's career just ended. What a f-----g creep."