For the second time in two years, Tom Izu loses the top Michigan State basketball Assistant.
Spartans assistant head coach Dwayne Stevens A source confirmed to the Free Press on Monday, that he has agreed to become Western Michigan’s next head coach after spending the past 19 seasons on the Izzo crew. An official announcement is expected in the coming days.
A letter was not returned to Stevens immediately.
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The first major coaching position will be Stevens, 50, a Ferndale native who has been a candidate for several positions over the past two decades.
Stevens played for the Spartans from 1989 to 1993, then joined the coaching staff in 2003 after a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Marquette under former Iso assistant Tom Crane which included an appearance in the 2003 fourth final.
During Stevens’ tenure at Izzo, MSU went to five Final Fours, won six regular season titles, won four post-season crowns and produced a record 477–189. He has mostly worked with post players, including six inducted into the NBA: Draymond Green, Adrian Payne, Deonta Davis, Brandon Dawson, Miles Bridges and Garen Jackson Jr.
A year ago, Dane Fife left Izzo’s staff after 10 seasons for his alma mater in Indiana. Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson has not retained him after this season.
Ezo has brought back two assistants for the 2021-22 season who had previously worked on his crew – promoting Doug Wujic and hiring Mark Montgomery after Fife’s departure. Longtime close friend Mike Garland has also shifted his role from coaching to pre-season special assistant.
The Broncos have averaged 8-23 overall and 4-16 in the Mid-American Conference this season under Clayton Bates, who quit last month after losing 13-39 in the past two seasons. WMU hired alum Glenn Sugiyama, who helped the Spartans recruit soccer coach Mel Tucker in 2020, to help with the search that landed Stephens.
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