REPORT: Juwan Howard's Confrontation With Staffer Under Review
At 5-5 on the season, the Michigan Wolverines basketball program isn't off to the greatest start. As if the performance on the court isn't bad enough, it's now being reported that head coach Juwan Howard recently had an altercation with a member of his staff that is under review.
Howard, who has been sidelined for the early part of the season due to a heart procedure he had back in September, reportedly had a confrontation with U-M strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson in a team practice last week. While rumors began to circulate on social media last night that the confrontation had turned physical, University officials denied that claim.
Given the fact that there isn't much known beyond the reporting that some sort of confrontation/altercation took place, it's hard to say exactly what this could potentially mean for Juwan Howard moving forward. That being said, Howard has certainly developed a bit of a reputation for losing his cool during his time in Ann Arbor. In fact, Howard was suspended for five games and fined $40,000 for hitting a Wisconsin assistant basketball coach back in 2022.
"Big Ten Conference coaches and student-athletes are expected to display the highest level of sportsmanship conduct," former conference commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement following the incident. "I am grateful for the partnership with Michigan athletics director, Warde Manuel, and Wisconsin athletics director, Chris McIntosh.
"Our expectation is that the incident yesterday will provide our coaches and student-athletes with the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that demonstrates decorum and leadership on and off of the court."
When rumors about the recent altercation began to swirl around social media, so did the suggestion that Howard's departure from Michigan was imminent. In response, Howard's former Fab Five teammate in Ann Arbor issued a strong denial at the suggestion.
While the reporting indicates that a source close to the program confirmed the confrontation took place, that same source also indicated that Howard's current status as head coach remains unchanged.
We'll have more on this story as it develops.
