3 qualities the new Michigan State basketball assistant coach must have

In case you missed it, Michigan State basketball assistant coach Mark Montgomery accepted the open head coach position at Detroit Mercy on Wednesday and will be leaving the program. That creates a massive hole in Tom Izzo’s staff, one that he is going to have to fill quickly.

Even though Izzo needs to move quickly, he does need to take his time and not jump on the first candidate that comes his way. There are a lot of qualities that are important in an assistant coach, but Izzo should really focus on a few qualities to help the program get back on track.

1. Ability to develop post players

The first quality that is important is the ability to develop post players. This position has been the weakest for the Spartans by far these last few years and one that needs to be addressed immediately.

Ever since former assistant Dwayne Stephens left the program to become the head coach at Western Michigan, MSU hasn’t had good development in their post players. The lack of production at that position is also arguably the biggest thing that’s been holding this team back as well. The guard play has been solid, but Michigan State’s had to rely on them too much due to the struggling post play.

So arguably the most important quality in Michigan State’s new assistant coach is someone who has much experience coaching, developing and maybe even playing in the post.