Sixteen U-M Student-Athletes Named NSCA Athletes of the Year
Jon Sanderson is in his fourth year as the head strength and conditioning coach for the University of Michigan men's basketball and men's and women's golf programs.
During Sanderson's three years in Ann Arbor, the Men's Basketball team has made two NCAA Tournament appearances and captured the program's first Big Ten title in 26 years in 2012. Men's basketball also posted back to back 20-plus win seasons during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. The men's golf program has posted two NCAA regional bids and a top-10 national finish (2010-11) during Sanderson's tenure. Women's golf has had three-straight NCAA regional bids and set the single-season record for team scoring average in 2009-10.
Sanderson worked closely with the architects of the William Davidson Player Development Center from 2009 to 2011 on the design of the 5,500-square foot weight room. The new weight room is state of the art in every way, including a plyometric area, nine power rack stations, heart rate technology, vibration training technology, cameras for instant video feedback and a cardio room. This impressive new weight room is housed on the second floor and overlooks the basketball practice courts.
Before joining the Michigan staff, Sanderson spent three years (2006-09) working at Clemson University as the men's and women's basketball strength and conditioning coach, as well as the director of the Littlejohn Coliseum weight room. During Sanderson's time at Clemson, the men's basketball team won 20-or-more games for three straight seasons -- a first in program history. Also, during those three seasons, only North Carolina and Duke had more wins than Clemson
Prior to his time at Clemson, he served as the head strength and conditioning coach and sports nutrition coordinator for Olympic sports at Marshall University (2003-06). Before heading to Marshall, Sanderson was a strength and conditioning intern at North Carolina, working with the men's basketball program (2002-03).
Throughout Sanderson's career he has trained eight student-athletes that have gone on to play professional basketball in the NBA, including Michigan's Darius Morris, Manny Harris and Clemson's Trevor Booker. Sanderson also trained former Michigan men's golfer Lion Kim, who competed in the 2011 Masters.
Sanderson received both his Bachelors in Communication (2001) and Masters in Recreation and Sport Sciences (2002) from Ohio University. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC), both through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Sanderson is also certified through USA Weightlifting as a club coach.
A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Sanderson played college basketball at Ohio State (1997-99) and Ohio University (2000-02). Sanderson was the starting small forward on Ohio State's 1999 Final Four team. Overall, he started three out of his four years in college basketball.
Sanderson remains in the Ohio State record book ranked 10th all-time in three point field goal percentage in a single game. He also holds the freshmen record, along with, Greg Oden for most defensive rebounds in a single game and ranks third all-time in three point field goals made by a freshman in a season.
Sanderson was a high school basketball standout at Lexington High School in Ohio. He was a four-year varsity starter and earned All-America honorable mention honors from USA Today, as well as All-Ohio first team honors.
Sanderson and his wife Jennifer (Sessor) have three children, Jonathan (5) and twins Joshua (2) and Jillian (2) and reside in Saline, Michigan.
