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Michigan Sports Director Warde Manuel has entered the research interview phase by the sports department of a new men's basketball coach.

According to a source familiar with the situation, Manuel was scheduled to meet with Providence coach Ed Cooley on Monday before interviewing Miami Heat assistant and former U-M player Juwan Howard on Tuesday. A source also said Manuel had discussed the work with current Michigan assistants Luke Yaklich and Saddi Washington.

Michigan Sports Director Warde Manuel is listening at a news conference on Sunday, April 1, 2018 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

More: Jalen Rose and Mark Hughes Agree: Juwan Howard Should Be Michigan's Next Coach

The date of Manuel's decision has not yet been determined, but a source told the Free Press that a hiring could take place this week.

At present, it is unclear if or when Butler's current coach, LaVall Jordan, former Michigan assistant, will interview Manuel. Jordan was on the list of Michigan candidates after former Michigan coach John Beilein resigned from his position to become the new Cleveland Cavaliers head coach last Monday.

More: In the search for basketball coaches in Michigan, winning should not be the top priority

Cooley, 49, has been in Providence since 2011. Manuel knows his job since he was Connecticut's Sports Director, while both programs were held in the Big East. Cooley, a member of Providence, Rhode Island, played her first Division I assistant position in Rhode Island in 1996 before joining Al Skinner at Boston College in 1997.

After helping the Eagles at five NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet 16 race, Cooley took over the Fairfield program which had just had a nine-game winning season. Cooley was 92-69 at Fairfield, with 23 and 25 winning seasons in his last two years. He took office in Providence in 2011 and has competed in five NCAA tournaments in eight years. He signed four of the top 25 recruiting classes in Providence and coached five players, including former first-round Kris Dunn, who had a career in the NBA. In a survey of anonymous university coaches led by CBS last year, Cooley became the most underrated head coach in America.

Cooley won $ 2.6 million in Providence last season. His takeover in Providence, a private school, is not publicly known. Cooley played 162-110 during his time with the Brothers.

Howard, of course, has received a lot of support in the Michigan basketball community, especially from his former Fab Five teammates.

Former Michigan stars, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber, have publicly endorsed Howard 's bid for work last week, along with former Michigan champion Mark Hughes. Over the weekend, ex-Fab Fiver Jimmy King also supported Howard.

"I think Juwan Howard is obviously one of the best candidates for the job in Michigan. I think his pedigree speaks for itself, "said King," I think his high school experience being an All-American, being an All-American at college at his university at the University of Michigan, it matters And being a champion at the professional level and being a coach in recent seasons speaks for his pedigree.

"I think it's one of the best candidates that the university can have."

Howard, 46, is an NBA assistant coach with the Miami Heat since 2013. He has had several interviews with NBA's head coaches, including a recent conversation with the Minnesota Timberwolves (who would be on the verge of dropping out). hire Ryan Saunders). Howard has never been a head coach and has never been a coach at the university, although his knowledge of the game has been respected in basketball circles for quite some time.

Manuel, who worked with Turnkey Search during this hiring process, spent most of last week talking with various coaching representatives about potential candidates.

Things have accelerated, however, as Manuel could move closer to a final decision.

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.