University of Michigan Reviewing Confrontation Between Basketball Coach Juwan Howard and Strength Coach
The University of Michigan is reviewing an alleged confrontation between head basketball coach Juwan Howard and the team’s strength coach, according to Bleacher Report, which reported from a social media post from The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn.
Last week, a source close to the program confirmed that Howard and strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson got into an altercation but it did not turn physical as was suggested on social media.
Currently, Howard is under “a zero-tolerance policy” at the school that was implemented after he struck a Wisconsin Badgers assistant coach in February 2022. The incident led to Howard being suspended for the final five games of the 2021-22 regular season and he was fined $40,000.
On X (formerly Twitter), Quinn also noted that neither coach was struck during the confrontation and that the University is reviewing the matter.
"Multiple sources say claims of punches being thrown in the aforementioned altercation are inaccurate," Quinn's post read.
“A confrontation between Howard and longtime U-M strength and condition coach Jon Sanderson in a team practice late last week is being explored and going through a university review process,” Quinn continued. “It is university procedure for such a review to be conducted outside the athletic department.”
Because of the altercation, rumors of Howard losing his job began on Sunday (Dec.10) when a tweet from a parody account @JomRothstein, posing as college hoops insider Jon Rothstein, said that “Howard would still remain on the staff as an assistant coach.”
During the Wolverines game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Sanderson, who often travels with the team was noticeably absent. Howard was in attendance at the game working as an assistant coach since he returned from heart surgery in November. Assistant coach Phil Martelli has been serving as the interim coach.
While many have speculated that Howard would be terminated as head coach, fellow “Fab Five” member and former NBA player Jalen Rose shared on social media that Howard will remain in his position in Ann Arbor.
“@JuwanHoward did not & is not stepping down as HC. He is enthusiastically hoping to return on Dec 16th. Juwan is literally recovering from OPEN HEART SURGERY done Sept 15th. HAIL!!!!!,” Rose’s post read.
