MEMPHIS, TN – NOVEMBER 25: Assistant coach Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat smiles while watching the team warm up before a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum on November 25, 2016 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves are searching for a new head coach, and Juwan Howard will be among the first to interview.
Nearly two weeks since being hired as Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations, Gersson Rosas is set to interview head coaching candidates this week. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard is among the first set of interviews for the job.
Ryan Saunders took over as Minnesota’s interim head coach after Tom Thibodeau was fired this past season, and it has almost seemed to be a foregone conclusion he’d be elevated to the permanent post.
Wojnarowski added Saunders remains a prominent candidate for the job, but Rosas intends to engage in the process with outside candidates before making a formal decision. Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool is also set to interview with the Timberwolves, and former Kings’ coach Dave Joerger should stand as a candidate too.
As the new front office leader in Minnesota, it’s a good sign Rosas seems to be engaging in a full search for a new head coach. Ideally, Howard, Vanterpool etc. are more than just cursory interviews to satisfy the idea of a real search.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor should have as little involvement in the hiring process as possible, with only final input to offer as candidates are uncovered and interviewed. Whoever Rosas ultimately thinks is the right man to coach the team, be it Saunders, Howard or someone else, should get the job.
Howard, for his part, may have options. With John Beilein departing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Howard is an automatic candidate to be the next head coach at Michigan. The former member of “The Fab Five” has been an assistant coach with the Heat since 2013, and he interviewed with the Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers for their head coaching jobs recently. All things considered, the pull of coaching his alma mater will be great for Howard if he is wanted to replace Beilein.