Juwan Howard set to return as acting head coach on Saturday

Juwan Howard will return as Michigan’s head coach on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. On3’s Chris Balas first reported the news on Friday.

Last week, Howard got into a physical altercation with strength coach Jon Sanderson. While no punches were thrown, the pair reportedly had to be separated.

According to The Athletic, Howard has been on a zero-tolerance policy since his altercation with Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in 2022, when he hit Krabbenhoft in the face in the postgame handshake line, causing a brawl between the team’s coaches and players.

The Athletic also noted Sanderson reported the incident to HR. Despite the claim, Howard traveled with the team and was on the bench in Michigan’s win over Iowa on Sunday. Sanderson was not in attendance.

Howard has not acted as head coach yet this season. The former Miami Heat player underwent a heart procedure in September, when doctors successfully resected an aortic aneurysm and repaired Howard’s aortic valve.

Michigan is 5-5 overall (1-1 in the Big Ten) this season following a 3-0 start. The Wolverines will square off against Eastern Michigan at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

More on Juwan Howard-Jon Sanderson altercation

Although the story isn’t crystal clear, college basketball insider Jeff Goodman revealed what sources told him regarding the alleged clash between Howard and Sanderson earlier this week.

“Right before practice started Jace Howard was in the training room and he’s been out all year,” Goodman said on The Field of 68.. “He’s frustrated and he starts to really get into the trainer. He’s frustrated and he starts almost berating the trainer.

“From what I was told it didn’t matter who it was, whether it’s a trainer, whoever was there at that time, he just let his frustrations roll out and they rolled out on on the trainer and the strength coach Jon Sanderson, who’s been there for a long time dating back to the John Beilein era, who is six-eight, 270 played … got pissed off because he saw how Jace was treating the trainer. And he basically said something to the effect of, that’s why the ‘effing’ culture is the way it is or something to that effect.” 

Once Sanderson allegedly started yelling, Juwan Howard stepped in.

“Well, Juwan Howard heard this,” Goodman said. “They were walking onto the court right before practice when this happened. Juwan Howard heard this and he obviously got pissed off, and there were no punches thrown … I was told they were toe to toe, chest to chest, right up in each other and had to be restrained.”