Juwan Howard undergoes successful heart surgery, out 4-6 weeks

Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard underwent heart surgery on Friday, the school has announced.

Dr. Himanshu Patel successfully resected an aortic aneurysm and repaired Howard’s aortic valve, according to a release from Michigan.

Juwan Howard will be away from the program for four-to-six weeks and is expected to fully recover in six-to-12 weeks, the school announced. In the meantime, associate head coach Phil Martelli will serve as the interim head coach during Howard’s recovery process.

“I feel so grateful and blessed that this surgery was performed at University of Michigan Health,” Juwan Howard said in a statement. “My wife, Jenine, and our family appreciate the world-class care that has been provided to us. Dr. (Kim) Eagle, Dr. (Himanshu) Patel, Dr. (Stanley) Chetcuti, and all of the staff at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center are so talented and performed like champions throughout this process. I am going to work very hard in my rehabilitation to be stronger than ever by the time our upcoming season is upon us.”

The Wolverines are set to open the season on Nov. 3 against Northwood. That game is scheduled for seven weeks from Friday.

“We are extremely grateful Juwan’s proactive procedure was a success and that he is resting comfortably,” Warde Manuel, who is the Michigan Director of Athletics, said in a statement. “We will continue to support Juwan, Jenine and his family as well as the program throughout his absence. All of us at the athletic department have Juwan in our thoughts and prayers. We look forward to Juwan’s return when he feels that he has fully recovered.”

Juwan Howard is entering his fifth season as the head coach at Michigan. The Wolverines are coming off of an 18-16 season.

Howard has had a successful run overall, with his best year at Michigan coming in 2020-21 when the Wolverines finished 23-5 and advanced to the Elite 8.

Prior to getting into coaching, Howard starred at Michigan and had an excellent NBA career. He was a member of the Fab Five, before being drafted No. 5 overall in the 1994 NBA draft. He spent 19 seasons in the NBA.

Phil Martelli has been on staff at Michigan since 2019. He was previously the head coach at Saint Joseph’s, where he led the Hawks to the NCAA Tournament seven times.

Saint Joseph’s won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament four times under Martelli, including reaching the Elite 8 during the 2003-04 season.