Head coach: check. Seven more things still need to get resolved. Those are Howard's three assistant coaches and S&C guy plus the three open scholarships Michigan currently has.

COACHING CAROUSEL

Even if Michigan wasn't getting hit in the face with giant amounts of money from the conference's new media deals they'd have some extra assistant money. Howard's contract is relatively modest:

Juwan Howard has been officially announced as Michigan's next basketball coach. According to a U-M press release, he agreed to a five-year deal, starting at $2 million annually, with a base salary of $400,000.

— Orion Sang (@orion_sang) May 22, 2019

Beilein was making almost double that. If Howard wants an expensive assistant money should be no barrier.

Per Brendan Quinn, Howard is reaching out to various experienced college coaches and thinking about hiring a former HC as one of his assistants. Beilein taking guys to the NBA is receding as a threat per "multiple sources." Yaklich is being given "time to sort things out at Michigan," which again implies that if Howard pursues Yaklich he can get him.

I strenuously disagree with internet folk who are suggesting that Yaklich is expendable because Howard was more or less the Heat version of him. Next year's team is going to be defense first and continuity there is important; also Howard just got a ton of stuff dumped on his lap and if he can confidently delegate a big chunk of that to a guy with back-to-back top three defenses that lets him focus on all the other aspects of running a college program.

FWIW, Brian Snow put together a list of former head coaches currently looking for gigs:

Tim Miles (formerly at Nebraska)
Phil Martelli (formerly at St. Joe's)
Bryce Drew (formerly at Vanderbilt)
Bob Hoffman (formerly at Mercer)
Brian Fish (formerly at Montana State)
Kareem Richardson (formerly at UMKC)
Tony Shaver (formerly at William & Mary)

Miles knows the conference; Drew is an intriguing option because he recruited like gangbusters at Vandy. I'd still bet that Howard's assistants have an existing connection to him. Webb brought up Jay Smith, who had a decade-long tenure at CMU on either side of the millenium. Smith is dealing with cancer, however, and may not be able to act in an assistant capacity.

[After THE JUMP: three open scholarships. Can Howard fill them?]

FILLING SLOTS

 

— jwill (@thejalenwilson) May 22, 2019

A few different Michigan reporters were able to get quotes about TX SF Jalen Wilson about the coaching hire. Those vary in their tone. Optimistic!

Michigan decommit Jalen Wilson on Juwan Howard: "He's alumni and has NBA knowledge so that's always great to have in a coach."

"They have always stayed in mix but with the timing and not knowing who it would be, I had to go out & explore options."

Hopes to speak w/ Howard soon.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 22, 2019

Pessimistic.

“I still got the same business,” Wilson told The Daily. “It's not gonna change everything. It's a new coach so he's gonna have to recruit and do all the business all over again like everybody else, really.”

Wilson set up officials to Kansas and UNC after getting his release from Michigan. Kansas is particularly concerning because he'll be visiting with TX CG RJ Hampton, a five star who recently reclassified from 2020 to 2019. The two guys are best friends—when Wilson committed there was some talk that Michigan would be able to get in on Hampton. That dynamic may work against Michigan now:

Hampton has previously taken official visits to Kansas (Dec. 14) and Memphis (Sept. 13), and he may be going back to Kansas next week.

“I’m thinking that he may visit Kansas with Jalen [Wilson],” the elder Hampton told 247Sports.

Wilson is scheduled to go to Kansas from May 30 to June 1st. Hampton added that it wasn’t definitive, and that Wilson and his son are best friends, but they both ended to make their college choices separately.

It'll be interesting to see if Michigan can get in on Hampton late, especially since he says he's down to KU, Memphis, and Texas Tech. Probably not, but if the recruiting paradigm has changed it's possible. It's still pretty doubtful. Maybe Michigan could sell a bucket of playing time and the lack of a looming NCAA scandal.

Franz Wagner is apparently not out of the picture thanks to his family's strong advocacy for Michigan with or without Beilein. One of the most ridiculous subplots of the coaching transition was Franz showing up on campus with his brother for an official visit while Michigan had no head coach. Moe made it seem like he was unperturbed about this:

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but speaking after signing autographs at The M-Den Thursday, former Michigan star, current Los Angeles Laker and Franz’s older brother, Moe Wagner said his brother enjoyed the trip and the chance to reconnect with family.

“You’ve got to ask him, but I think it was pretty good,” the elder Wagner said. “It was an interesting circumstance, but I think he had a good time. It was really good to be together as a family.”

Keep a couple of assistants, get on the phone, maybe it works out. Yesterday Wagner was the subject of another profile that people run through Google translate and try to parse, and it sounds like it's still a real decision:

His brother, whom he replaced in 2018 as the youngest ALBA player, he describes as a role model. What would be more logical than to go this way? Especially since he has more or less firm commitments from three colleges: of course from Michigan, as well as Stanford and Butler, as Wagner confirms. Representatives of the elite Stanford University were already in Berlin. He knows Michigan from visits to his brother. LaVall Jordan, the coach of the Butler Bulldogs from Indianapolis, was previously an assistant to John Beilein in Michigan.

This provides a lot of distraction: Because the colleges are looking for contact on a regular basis, giving feedback after games. "Recruiting at the college is already special," says Franz. "You have to learn to handle this. But I think I'm not the only young player to do that. "

Despite everything Wagner remains the most likely high-end target that Michigan can grab at this late date.

Bones Hyland has not drawn a mention anywhere over the last ten days. He may be headed for prep school.

GRAD TRANSFERS?

Oakland SG Jaevin Cumberland is still out there. The primary competition has moved from Oregon to Cincinnati, where his cousin Jarron plays, or perhaps played.

Sounds like Jaevin Cumberland, the Oakland transfer, is leaning Cincy depending on what his cousin Jarron does in regard to the NBA.

If cuz leaves, then Cumberland probably ends up at Michigan.

At least, pending the new coach.

— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) May 13, 2019

Jarron entered his name in the draft despite the fact that he's almost certainly not going to be drafted. That doesn't mean he'll return. His coach left for UCLA; he could get paid in Europe. Three Bearcats have put their name in the transfer portal, so a return might not be attractive.

Michigan's case might not be that damaged by Beilein's departure. Cumberland was recruited to Oakland by Saddi Washington; if Washington sticks around that comfort level, and the clear availability of playing time on a team that should still be pretty good, will be enticing.

There is almost nothing else left on the grad transfer market. VT's Kerry Blackshear is going through the draft process. He's currently leaning towards a departure…

Corey Evans of Rivals.com also added this morning that while his camp is relatively quiet right now, the general thought right now is that he keeps his name in the NBA Draft.

“Sources have told Rivals.com that Blackshear seems to be leaning toward keeping his name in the NBA Draft,” he said. “While he may go undrafted, the feeling is that he would be OK spending a year in the G-League instead of spending next year at a new college program.”

If he doesn’t receive the feedback he’s looking for (and he only has two more weeks to figure that out), sources tell KSR that Kentucky is in a great position to land Blackshear this offseason.

…and if he doesn't Kentucky is on him. Jaden McDaniels committing to Washington will only intensify their pursuit. That'll be difficult to overcome.

Past Blackshear and Cumberland there are just seven players on Jeff Borzello's list of the top 50 grad transfers who have not already committed. UNLV's Shakur Juiston was at a JUCO before UNLV and is probably not admittable; the rest of the guys on the list are dubious bets to contribute.

Iowa grad transfer Isaiah Moss, who transferred too late to get on Borzello's list, specifically omitted Big Ten teams from his final list out of respect to the program he's leaving.

2020 And Beyond

OH PG commit Zeb Jackson reaffirmed his commit with a slight caveat:

Zeb Jackson Sr., the father of top-100 2020 guard Zeb Jackson, tells @TheAthleticDET that his son is holding firm in his commitment to U-M, in light of the Howard reports. "As long as Coach Howard and his staff remain as excited about Zeb as Coach Beilein and his staff," he said.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) May 22, 2019

And then Jackson posted a picture of himself with the new head man from three years ago:

3 years ago pic.twitter.com/av0uy0Xkp6

— Zeb Jackson (@iamzebjackson1) May 22, 2019

That above tweet might be a thing to note as Howard transfers to college recruiting. He's been a part of it for a while. Juwan Howard Jr went through the recruiting process about a decade ago, landing at Western Michigan and then transferring to Detroit. The elder Howard has apparently been very involved with his sons' basketball careers, so for a big chunk of the last decade he's been actively involved in the AAU scene. That didn't stop yesterday.

New Michigan head coach Juwan Howard here at USA Basketball U16 training camp. His son Jett Howard is participating here. pic.twitter.com/iyOPHpW5Rt

— Justin Young (@JustinDYoung) May 22, 2019

Howard's probably met a lot of top prospects over the next three or four classes. 5* 2020 CA CG Nimari Burnett, who was until recently a Chicago resident, is an example:

On Howard's reputation in Chicago: “It’s really good. A lot of people respect him. Almost everybody I know respects him. He’s a good guy. He’s a really smart human being. He’s going to be really good for Michigan.”

— Orion Sang (@orion_sang) May 22, 2019

For many years Howard ran a free basketball camp in Chicago, which may be where Burnett met him. Howard gets around. Early returns from Mac Irvin Fire are good:

Congrats to Juwan Howard on being named HC at Michigan!!! GREAT HIRED!!!

— Mac Irvin Fire (@TheMacIrvinFire) May 22, 2019

Unless Michigan's able to get Wagner and claw Wilson back into the class, the 2020 recruiting class is going to be 1) giant and 2) critical. Right now they'd have five slots open, and a couple more might shake loose due to the coaching transition.

Down the road, 2022 FL SG Jett Howard might be on to something here:

"You know, my dad just got the job today so I don't know yet. I'm pretty sure that I'll get the (Michigan) offer."

I'm sayin' there's a chance.