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John Beilein addresses the media at the NBA Draft Chicago Lottery after leaving U-M for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach position on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.
Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press

The University of Michigan, looking for a men's basketball coach to replace the late John Beilein, is starting to take shape, but the situation is still not restored.

In the case of multiple sources with direct knowledge of the research, Michigan conducted informational interviews with representatives of potential candidates, but had not yet entered the formal interview phase with a candidate since Thursday afternoon.

Numerous sources confirmed to the Free Press that sports director Warde Manuel was on the list of former Michigan nominees and former assistant coach of the Juke Howard Heat, as well as the former Michigan assistant and former Butler head coach LaVall Jordan. The research is led by Manuel and assisted by the research company Turnkey Search.

Michigan Sports Director Warde Manuel speaks at the International Champions Cup press conference at the U-M Junge Family Champions Center in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

Manuel's complete list and general preference are not clear at this time. On Thursday afternoon, there were many ongoing checks for all potential candidates.

Several reports have linked Texas head coach, Shaka Smart, as a person of interest to Michigan research. Smart has a $ 12.9 million purchase in Texas.

More: John Beilein after leaving Michigan for the NBA: "It was the right thing to do"

Sources also confirmed that Manuel had not yet entered a research phase in which a specific language of redemption had been discussed with a candidate.

The other problem with Smart is his stated interest in adding Michigan assistant to Luke Yaklich. Yaklich, according to the American-American Austin, was interviewed Thursday by Smart in Texas. Also on Thursday, 247Sports reported that neither Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan nor Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens were interested in this work. The site also said that Providence head coach, Ed Cooley, 49, could be a name at the study.

In terms of timing, the expected range is between two and three weeks in total. The search began on Monday, which means Michigan could have a coach before June. However, no chronology is etched in the marble.

More: John Beilein says the most difficult part of leaving Michigan was to let the players

Earlier Thursday, 4-star forward Jalen Wilson, who signed with Michigan in the fall, asked to be released from his letter of intent due to Beilein's departure to the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers. The Michigan search process, by source, is working as quickly as possible due to the timing of the release of Beilein, but Manuel does not rush the process simply because of short-term concerns.

Howard, 46, has been the Heat's assistant since 2013. He is a famous member of Michigan's Fab Five teams in the early 1990s. Earlier Thursday, his former teammate Jalen Rose offered public support to Howard in Michigan. Former Michigan player Mark Hughes, current assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, also expressed his support for Howard on Thursday.

The biggest problem with Howard is the fact that he has never been a college basketball coach. It also appears that NBA teams have shown interest in vacant head coach positions this spring.

Jordan, 40, was assistant coach of Michigan under Beilein from 2010 to 2016 and played a key role in the offensive adaptation that allowed the Wolverines to win two Big Ten titles (2012, 2014) and win the national title in 2013. He is 37 years old -31 in two years at Butler. Last summer, Jordan received an extension of the school contract. Exact details and any potential buyouts are not public.

Smart, 42, is aged 71 to 66 for four years in Texas. His coaching career was successful during his stint at VCU, with an appearance in the Final Four in 2011 and a record of 163-56.

Contact Nick Baumgardner at the following address: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ nickbaumgardner. Learn more about the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.