Digger Phelps speaks after Juwan Howard incident
Few if any names are bigger in the history of Notre Dame basketball than Digger Phelps. So anytime he gives his take on something, Irish fans and at least some college basketball fans in general tend to listen. After Michigan coach Juwan Howard threw a punch at the end of his team’s loss to Wisconsin, Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune reached out to Phelps to ask what would have happened to him in a similar situation. Phelps couldn’t have been more clear in his response:
Just asked @NDmbb legend Digger Phelps a hypothetical – if something like this transpired after a game vs UCLA when he was coach, and he acted like Juwan Howard, would Phelps have job next day?
His response? No way
Said Fathers Hesburgh and Joyce wouldn’t stand for it. Ever https://t.co/hvMYyZLGv2
— Tom Noie (@tnoieNDI) February 20, 2022
It’s hard to believe that any athletic director or university president would tolerate what Howard did even now. However, we’re not in charge of making these decisions, so we don’t know what grounds today’s leaders have for immediate dismissal of a coach. What we do know is that Howard’s actions are completely unacceptable, and anything less than a swift and harsh punishment for him would be mind-boggling. Let’s hope that’s exactly what happens.
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