University of Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard was captured on video striking Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the head amid a heated argument after a difficult Big Ten loss Sunday afternoon.
The conflict was set off when Howard and the Badgers’ head coach, Greg Gard, began arguing in the handshake line after Wisconsin won the game 77-63.
As the men’s tempers flared, players and staff swarmed around them to keep them apart. That’s when Howard struck Krabbenhoft, who was close at hand, in the head. Though Howard pulled back a clenched fist, he appeared in a slow-motion video view to strike Krabbenhoft with an open hand. (Check out the scene above.)
That triggered a melee with players throwing punches.
Howard, a former NBA star player, explained at a press conference later that he was upset by a final-seconds timeout that Gard had called. (See the video below.)
“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,” he said.
Howard complained about Gard “touching” him. “I think it was very uncalled for him to touch me as we were verbalizing and communicating with one another. ... That’s what escalated it.”
He added, “At that point, I thought that was time to protect myself.”
Gard — who is seen on video initially grabbing Howard by the arm in the handshake line — said Howard “pulled his mask down, and he said, ‘I’ll remember that,’” referring to the timeout.
“He started pointing at me and tapped me in the chest,” he added.
Gard said he responded, “hold on,” and began explaining to Howard why he called the timeout, adding dismissively at the press conference: “Maybe he doesn’t know the rule.”
The Big Ten Conference said in a statement it would review the matter for “swift and appropriate disciplinary action.”
“The conference is in contact with both member institutions and is currently assessing the incident,” the statement said. “The conference will provide more information and will take swift and appropriate disciplinary action when it completes its review.”
Michigan’s athletic director, Ward Manuel, said in a statement that the violence was “totally unacceptable,” adding, “There is no excuse for any of our staff or student-athletes to get into a physical altercation with others regardless of instigating factors.”
He said he apologized to Wisconsin’s athletic director, Chris McIntosh, and that university President Mary Sue Coleman was reaching out to issue an apology to University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank.
“We will review the situation more thoroughly and work with the Big Ten Conference as they determine their disciplinary actions and will determine if further disciplinary actions are warranted,” he added.