The University of Michigan is currently investigating an alleged confrontation between Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard and longtime strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, leading to a state of uncertainty within the program.
Sources from both the team and the university, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of internal personnel matters, revealed that Sanderson filed a human resources claim after a heated dispute with Howard on December 7th. The investigation is currently underway, and the university is looking into the details surrounding the incident.
For Howard, the Wolverines’ fifth-year head coach, the overarching issue with such an HR review is that his employment at Michigan is under a “zero-tolerance policy” instituted by the university stemming from a postgame skirmish at Wisconsin in February 2022. The University of Michigan
According to one official with understanding of university policy, human resources is responsible for collecting and reviewing the facts of the incident, including Howard’s account, then creating a report for Howard’s superior, who will make the ultimate determination if any policy was violated. That will be Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel and the University of Michigan legal counsel. Manuel hired Howard in 2019.
As of Wednesday afternoon, results of the HR review are believed to still be pending.