A go-to phrase for Juan Howard is bigger than basketball.

For the last three months, he had to live by that after a very scary real-life situation.

And here, three months to the day that Juan Howard had heart surgery, we learned that he would

return to his head coaching position in full one day later, this on Saturday, in an 8366 victory over Eastern Michigan.

Coach Howard told me pregame that he had nervous energy, even though he had been on the sidelines

over the last four weeks, albeit not in that official 100% head coach role.

How couldn't he be a little bit nervous, anxious, excited? Any medical

journey is scary and the alterations you have to make in your day-to-day life in order to

attempt to get back to 100 percent, that's tough even though it's something you absolutely have

to do. At first, Coach Howard had to be completely away from the program. Then, he could

slowly return to the building while building back, strength, and energy, but he could not be on

the sidelines. Then, he was on the bench, but not as the program's in-game head coach. That slow and

steady build, with patience, with consistency, with support,

all of that so key with our health and so key in sports. Following Saturday's game,

many people showed their support for Coach Howard. Michigan President Santa Ono gave him a hug.

Hundreds of fans waited near the court to wish him well in route to the locker room to welcome him back fully to his role.

It was a great scene.

It was the end of a three-month stretch that provided plenty of ups and downs.

First and foremost, for Joanne Howard, the person and the Howard family as people. Again, the phrase

bigger than basketball. Another part of the slow and steady build for coach Howard was for him to

get back into the flow of things. He said in postgame, we'll have that full conversation coming up

for you later on the show. After a few minutes, it felt normal for him again.

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