EAST LANSING, Mich— Michigan State associate head coach Dwayne Stephens has been hired by Western Michigan as its next head coach.

Western Michigan University is excited to welcome Dwayne Stevens as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program!

📰 https://t.co/vL6kAbz3wy#LetsRide pic.twitter.com/WS9jemWGbc

— Western Michigan Broncos 🐎 (@WMUBroncos) April 4, 2022

Stephens is replacing former Bronco head coach Clayton Bates, who went 13-39 at Western over a two-year span. Bates was fired on March 7. It’s the first career collegiate head coaching job for Stephens in his career.

With Stephens’ departure, Izzo is losing his most tenured assistant coach and a trusted assistant who has been with him since 2003. He was instrumental in the development of NBA Draft picks Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson, Draymond Green, Xavier Tillman, Adreian Payne, Deyonta Davis and Brendan Dawson, in addition to key contributors Nick Ward, Gavin Schilling, Matt Costello, Raymar Morgan, Goran Suton, Aaron Henry, Kenny Goins and Marcus Bingham Jr.

Stephens, an excellent recruiter, was a four-year letterwinner at MSU from 1989-93 and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior after averaging 11.2 points and five rebounds a game. He joined Izzo’s staff as the Spartans’ primary frountcourt coach before the 2003-04 season after previously coaching at Marquette from 1999-2003 and Oakland from 1997-99.

The Spartans have now seen two assistant coaches leave in the past two seasons (longtime assistant coach Dane Fife was hired by new Indiana head coach Mike Woodson in 2021, but has subsequently left the university). Mike Garland also took a step back this past season to care for his son who underwent heart surgery. Fife, as well as former MSU assistant and Indiana/Georgia head coach Tom Crean, are currently available.