(ANN ARBOR) – The University of Michigan fired coach Juwan Howard on Friday after five seasons, parting ways with the former Fab Five star whose return to his alma mater included a Big Ten title and advancing in two NCAA Tournaments before closing with two straight disappointing seasons. Howard finished with an 82-67 record with the Wolverines, reaching some highs and lows. He won a conference regular season championship and was a win away from the Final Four in 2021, when he was named The Associated Press coach of the year. He lost a school-record 24 games this season as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel made the call to fire Howard without cause two days after an eight-win season ended with a loss to Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. In a statement, Manuel says after a comprehensive review of the program, he decided that Juwan will not return as men’s basketball coach. Manuel says despite Howard’s love of his alma mater and the positive experience that the student-athletes had under his leadership, it was clear that the program was not living up to school’s expectations and not trending in the right direction. Manuel hired Howard in May 2019 when John Beilein bolted to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers after turning the Wolverines into a national power. Early in the 2021-22 season, following a run to an NCAA Tournament regional final, Manuel gave Howard a five year extension worth than $16.9 million that had him under contract through the 2025-26 season. Michigan will owe Howard about $7 million for his base salary and additional compensation plus a lump-sum payment of $3 million for firing him without cause in year three of his deal, according to terms of his contract.