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The Michigan State basketball team announced a new hire on Thursday, and their new assistant is coming from a school that you wouldn't expect. Former Michigan basketball assistant coach Saddi Washington is now joining the Spartans. Washington has been an assistant with the Wolverines since 2016, and he has been a part of some very successful teams in Ann Arbor. Now, he is joining Tom Izzo and Michigan's bitter in-state rival up in East Lansing.
“Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo announced the addition of Saddi Washington, a Lansing native and the son of former Spartan great Stan Washington, to his staff as an assistant coach.” Michigan State basketball reported.
As you can see from the report, Saddi Washington has some ties to Michigan State, so the move makes sense for him. Michigan basketball is in the middle of the coaching change, and Tom Izzo is one of the best in the business. Still, it's always a little bit surprising to see someone move to a rival school.
“I'm very excited to welcome Saddi to our staff and to bring him back home to the Lansing area,” Tom Izzo said. “I've known him since he was in junior high school, where he had Doug Herner as a teacher and I've had a great relationship with him and his family for a long, long time. Obviously, he's got some deep ties at Michigan State as his parents and his brother are all alums and his father, Stan, was one of the greats of our program. Saddi is not only a real and genuine person, but he's an incredible coach who has had a great career working for some great people, from my good friend Greg Kampe at Oakland and to his last eight years at Michigan, under both John Beilein and Juwan Howard. He's an outstanding teacher with a great basketball IQ and has been recognized as a great recruiter, in and out of Michigan. We're excited to welcome Saddi back home and to have his wife, Channon, and their two kids, Sidney and Caleb, as part of the Spartan Family.”
Saddi Washington is excited for the move to Michigan State basketball
As a Lansing native, this is an exciting move for Saddi Washington. He gets to go back home, and his family has deep connections to the Michigan State basketball team.
“I'm very thankful to join the program at Michigan State and to come back home,” Saddi Washington said. “My family and I are excited for this move and becoming a Spartan is a bit of a full-circle moment for me since my parents and my youngest brother are MSU alums. I grew up down the road in Lansing, coming to watch games at Jenison Field House and my father is one of the original “Spartan Dawgs,” so it is surreal for me to carry on his legacy. I've had the opportunity to work with and for some great coaches throughout my career, from my playing days at Western Michigan with Bob Donewald, to working for Greg Kampe at Oakland and then during my time at Michigan with John Beilein and Juwan Howard. I'm really looking forward to working with Hall of Fame Coach Tom Izzo alongside a great staff. I've followed the Michigan State program since I was a kid and saw first-hand how Coach Izzo has built and sustained excellence. I understand how important it is to the community, the University and the alumni. I'm excited to get going.”
The Michigan basketball team is coming off of their worst season in a very long time as they finished in last place in the Big Ten last season. The coaching staff in Ann Arbor is going to look very different next year, and it will not include Saddi Washington.
