Report: Juwan Howard involved in confrontation with Michigan assistant coach

At 3:29 p.m., this article was modified to incorporate Michigan Athletics’ response to the request for comment.

On Monday, it was revealed that Michigan is presently looking into an incident involving head coach Juwan Howard and strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson.

According to a report by Brendan Quinn from The Athletic, a confrontation took place between Howard and Sanderson last week during a team practice. The reported incident will undergo examination through the University review process, which operates independently of the Michigan athletic department. Meanwhile, Sanderson did not accompany the team to Michigan’s victory over Iowa on Sunday, although he remains associated with the program.

While there were online speculations about the altercation turning physical, Quinn states that these rumors are inaccurate. The Michigan Daily reached out to a Michigan spokesperson, who declined to comment at this point.

Howard is currently subject to a “zero-tolerance policy” from the University following an incident in February 2021 where he struck Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft, resulting in a five-game suspension.

During this season, associate head coach Phil Martelli has taken on the role of head coach as Howard recuperated from a heart procedure conducted in August. Howard’s recovery has progressed well, and on November 30, he officially rejoined the coaching staff, transitioning back to an assistant coach while Martelli continued as interim head coach.

In this capacity, Howard was present on the sidelines for the Wolverines’ victory on Sunday. His status will be under observation as the University investigates the confrontation.

This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.