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Michigan officially lost a former longtime staff member after strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson handed in his resignation. His reasoning seemed to stem from a supposed spat with basketball coach Juwan Howard.
Sanderson was hired under the previous staff led by John Beilein in 2009. He was retained when Howard took over ten years later.
An incident was reported earlier this season, though, involving the head coach’s son, Jace. The team captain, who’s been dealing with a stress fracture this season, was said to have gotten testy and disrespectful with a training staff member to the point Sanderson had to step in.
More on that altercation from Wolverines Wire:
Sanderson wrote that Jace Howard “was berating” the trainer and caused a “scene” that prompted several players to stop and watch. Sanderson described the scene as “totally out of control…” Sanderson intervened, yelling at Howard from roughly 30 feet away “you’re a student athlete and he is a professional. You don’t talk to a professional like that. That is disrespectful and entitled.”
Sanderson said Juwan Howard came at him, “angry and ready to fight,” repeatedly yelling as players and staff held him back.
“He kept aggressively pursuing me to fight, as the players and staff were doing their best to restrain him. He was out of control; it was an ugly scene. I had no choice but to stand my ground, I didn’t back down. A few of the players and staff got in front of me as well in an effort to keep us separated,” Sanderson wrote.
Not the best look for Howard, whose temper tantrums have been well-noted throughout his Michigan tenure.
There was the scuffle with Wisconsin’s coaching staff where he slapped a Badgers’ assistant after a blowout loss. He also had to be restrained on the court by his own players during a game vs. Purdue this season.
In this case, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Michigan athletics department.
Still, the off-court headlines have only added to Wolverine fans’ displeasure as the team’s production on the floor continues to decline. Whispers of a potential postseason firing have surfaced as supporters grow more frustrated with the group’s play.
Howard is in his fourth season with the program, seeing win totals decline each year at the helm. The 2023-24 campaign has easily been his most disappointing.
UM is 8-21 on the season and the heat is cranking up on Howard’s seat.
Sanderson’s resignation, meanwhile, was made official on Friday, March 1st.