Moving on to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Michigan State should have zero distractions or worries about losing a key assistant coach to an in-state program.
Saddi Washington was rumored to have interest in the Western Michigan opening shortly after the Broncos fired former Spartan assistant Dwayne Stephens.
There seemed to be mutual interest, because Washington reportedly interviewed for it.
However, Tony Paul of The Detroit News reported that Western Michigan was closing in on its next head coach, and it’s not Washington. The Broncos are reportedly going with University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s Kahil Fennell as its next head coach. He was previously an assistant for Louisville and BYU. Paul says that the deal isn’t finalized, but it’s trending in that direction.
What does that mean for Tom Izzo and his coaching staff? It looks like it may just remain intact this offseason, although I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see an assistant get hired as a head coach elsewhere.
If that does happen, Izzo could opt to bring Stephens back.
This will likely not be the only interview that Washington gets for a head coaching position. If he’s getting some interest from Western Michigan, he’ll likely receive more from other mid-majors.
Staff continuity is important for Michigan State
Like it is everywhere in the country, staff continuity is important for the growth of the program. Players like to hang around more if they know that their coaches aren’t going anywhere. While that’s not nearly as important as the head coach leaving, losing a key assistant can have consequences.
Recruits that Washington has built relationships with over the next class or two could reconsider some things if he takes a job elsewhere. That’s a key relationship gone.
Fortunately, Izzo has had really good continuity throughout the course of his career. He’s had guys like Stephens, Mike Garland, Mark Montgomery, and Doug Wojcik on his staff for years. These guys all became key program fixtures before either retiring or taking head coaching jobs elsewhere.
Retaining Washington would be ideal, but replacing him with Stephens wouldn’t be the worst trade in the entire world. I think fans would be OK with losing Washington if Stephens returned.