"He's put a clown suit on himself, and the University of Michigan" - Jason Whitlock slams Wolverines HC Juwan Howard after alleged altercation
Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard has reportedly been involved in a confrontation with Jon Sanderson, the Wolverines' strength and conditioning coach. The alleged incident occurred during a practice, but there were conflicting reports about whether it was physical.
Initially, there were whispers that Howard and Sanderson had engaged in a physical altercation after Michigan's 90-80 victory over Iowa on Sunday. However, it was later clarified that there was no physical contact involved.
Rumors of the confrontation began circulating shortly after the Iowa game, but it wasn't clear exactly what had happened. Some sources suggested that Howard had become angry with Sanderson over the treatment of Wolverines guard Jace Howard, Juwan Howard's son, who has been sidelined all season with an injury.
On his show "Fearless," podcaster Jason Whitlock, however, criticized Howard, calling his tenure as coach a disaster.
“He's [Juwan Howard] now going to leave in disgrace. He's destroyed himself,” Whitlock said. “He's blown the opportunity that was given to him.
“He had a chance with all the support that Michigan was going to surround him with and all the efforts they were going to do to try to make their alone a success. He's blown it all. He's put a clown suit on himself and the University of Michigan.”
More details on Juwan Howard's reported outburst
Jeff Goodman, a journalist who covers college basketball, shed some light on the incident during "The Field of 68 After Dark" podcast.
According to Goodman's sources, Jace Howard had been arguing with a trainer, and Jon Sanderson stepped in and reprimanded him for being too aggressive.
“The end of last week in Ann Arbor,” Goodman said, “practice is starting up, and Jace Howard, Juwan's son who has been out all year, he's been hurt, he's been frustrated not being able to get back on the court.
“He [Jace] was in the training room, and he was walking out, and he got into it with the trainer first, almost to the point of berating the trainer over the line.
“The strength coach Jon Sanderson hears it and he gets pissed off because he hears it and he thought that, again, Jace was going way over the line.”
Juwan Howard allegedly became angry when he heard what Sanderson had said and accused him of making the team's culture worse. Elaborating on the incident, Jeff Goodman further said:
“I talked to somebody who said, ‘Listen, it was him losing his cool, good kid just frustrated not being able to get on the court for the last few months.’
“And Jon Sanderson hears this and says something to the effect of, ‘That's why the effing culture is the way it is around here.’ Because, again, he's going off on somebody that, again, is trying to help him.”
When Howard confronted Sanderson, the two men reportedly got into each other's faces, and it took intervention from others to separate them. Goodman said:
“And he [Juwan] went right up to Sanderson… and they got, from what my sources tell me, and this was all multiple sources telling me, chest to chest, nose to nose before they had to be separated. And, after it, there was really no other mention.”
Howard has been out of action this season while recovering from heart surgery, and his status as head coach is unchanged despite the incident.
Juwan Howard and Jon Sanderson have remained silent on the matter, and the university is reviewing the situation.