Michigan's Juwan Howard Has 'No Timetable' for Return After Heart Surgery

University of Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard currently has "no timetable" for his return to the bench after undergoing heart surgery in September.

Assistant coach Saddi Washington spoke to reporters Tuesday at Big Ten media day and said Howard's return remains up in the air. Phil Martelli will serve as the Wolverines' acting head coach with Howard out.

"He's a very motivated individual to get back," Washington said. "There is no timetable. We want him back when he's ready. He's going to listen to his team of doctors. He's going to go through the process of working through his rehab and getting healthy. I know the competitive spirit that he is. We're just going to hold down the fort."

Howard is heading into his fifth season coaching his alma mater. The Wolverines were a disappointing 18-16 in 2022-23 and failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time under Howard.

In the previous two seasons, Howard led Michigan to an Elite Eight appearance and Sweet 16 berth.

This year's Michigan team is not expected to compete for a national title. Howard landed just one player in the 2023 recruiting class, 4-star guard George Washington III, and instead plucked three players from the transfer portal (Olivier Nkamhoua, Tray Jackson, Nimari Burnett).

Martelli previously replaced Howard for the final five games of the 2021-22 regular season due to a suspension. The Wolverines went 3-2 in those five games.

Martelli spent 24 years as the head coach of Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia.