How about this, everyone? We’ve got some fresh news from East Lansing. Earlier today, it was announced that Tom Izzo has selected Saddi Washington to fill the vacancy left by Mark Montgomery, who recently assumed the head coach position at Detroit Mercy. This decision certainly stirs up mixed emotions among us Spartans, given Washington’s previous affiliation with our biggest rival, known for their unethical practices. However, it’s worth noting that Washington has deep ties to Michigan State, hailing from a Spartan family background. Both his parents and one of his brothers are Michigan State alumni, with his father having played basketball for the Spartans in the 1960s.
Saddi’s roots trace back to Lansing, where he attended Sexton High School before pursuing his collegiate career at Western Michigan, followed by stints as a professional player internationally. With nearly two decades of experience as a collegiate assistant coach, he began his coaching journey under Greg Kampe at Oakland University before joining the staffs of Beilein and Howard at the University of Michigan. During his tenure at Michigan, he specialized in coaching frontcourt players, offering hope that he could bolster our team in that area and bring out the best in players like Xavier Booker, Carson Cooper, and Jaxon Kohler this season.
In other staffing news under Izzo’s leadership, Doug Wojcik has been elevated to the position of Associate Head Coach. Additionally, Jon Borovich, formerly the Director of Recruiting Operations, and Austin Thornton, a former player turned video coordinator, have been appointed assistant coaches. They’ll collaborate with Thomas Kelley and now Saddi Washington.
Now, over to you. Do you believe Saddi can elevate our roster’s performance?
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