KALAMAZOO — With the Western Michigan pep band flanking him to the fitting, his lately launched gamers sitting simply off the stage to his left and his former mentor, assistants and household straight in entrance of him, Dwayne “DJ” Stephens paused to wipe the tears from his face.
Not as soon as, or twice, however greater than half a dozen occasions by the hour-long introductory information convention Wednesday at Learn Fieldhouse.
That is when it turned official — the Ferndale native and very long time Michigan State basketball assistant is the 15th coach in Western Michigan men’s basketball history.
It has been an emotional journey for the 50-year-old, who has been an assistant coach on six Closing 4 groups over the previous twenty years — 5 with Michigan State and one with Marquette (in 2002, Dwyane Wade’s senior season).
“We’re going big places,” Stephens mentioned. “And I can’t wait to get started.”
He quickly corrected himself, saying it has already begun. There have already been calls to neighborhood leaders, gamers and future recruits. Stephens says he plans to have some type of observe Thursday and will likely be on the recruiting path full-go this weekend.
It is a hit-the-ground-running state of affairs and one Stephens just isn’t solely embracing, however welcoming. That mentality is only one of a lot of causes WMU athletic director Dan Bartholomae says he rapidly recognized Stephens as his prime candidate.
THE HIRE: MSU assistant Dwayne Stephens to coach Western Michigan
LOOKING TO 2022-23: Where U-M, MSU land in too-early top-25 rankings
ON THE ICE: WMU hockey shut out, eliminated from NCAA tournament
“As we began this process, we identified several traits that we wanted in our next head coach,” Bartholomae mentioned. “Among those most important were a combination of authenticity and energy … a blue-collar, grinders mentality that matched the work ethic required to raise this program to the levels we know it can meet and a demonstrated track record of championship-level success.”
Examine, test and test.
“We met DJ on that first day and I will tell you when we walked out of the room we had our clear-cut No. 1,” Bartholomae added. “In fact, it wasn’t even close.”
The administration waited by the weekend of the Closing 4, sitting down with a couple of head coaches as effectively — some who’d been within the NCAA event — however after these, Bartholomae had a message to his employees:
“Get DJ back in this room. … This is the perfect fit for Bronco basketball.”
And now, after years working underneath coaches similar to Greg Kampe, Tom Crean and for the previous twenty years, Tom Izzo, Stephens can have his personal program. His personal message. His personal chapter.
It is becoming, he mentioned, that this occurred the identical week Cornell Mann — his cousin, lifelong good friend and somebody who was raised as his brother — get his first head teaching job, too, at Grand Valley State University.
That introductory press convention is Thursday.
It was a day of reflection for Stephens. One which went far past the times Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo recruited him to play at Michigan State from 1989-93.
Earlier than his days as a standout at Ferndale Excessive, Stephens grew up in Detroit, the place there wasn’t at all times hoops accessible to play on exterior, he mentioned. After they may discover them, he remembers a couple of thunderous dunks from these within the neighborhood that quickly rendered them unusable.
So what did he do when he wished to play?
“We would take a bike rim, knock the spokes out and we would nail the bike rim to a tree,” he recalled. “That’s how we started to play basketball. Then we’d put some plywood up, for a backboard.
“In the event that they ripped that down, we might simply go play dribble tag in entrance of the home.”
IN EAST LANSING: MSU has room to grow — literally: What return players must do
SHAWN WINDSOR: MSU’s hectic season ends with a lesson: They’re close to contending
Blue-collar from day one. That’s Stephens.
He’s also a family man — another part of the emotional roller coaster for Stephens on Wednesday. Through more tears, Stephens informed those who may not have known: His father died two years ago from Covid-19.
It was his father’s dream to see him become a Division I head coach, something Stephens said, “he actually needs he had been right here to see.”
But family can extend to those with whom you spend most of your time.
That brings us back to Izzo, assistant Mike Garland, who Stephens says is “like a dad” to him, and the other dozen or so Michigan State staffers in attendance.
This hire reverberated in East Lansing, in the best of ways.
“I received up this morning, we knew we have been coming over right here and the very first thing I considered was how good I actually felt for him,” Garland said. “The joy was truly as if I used to be getting this job.
“It’s long-overdue. It’s more than a coworker. It’s just fantastic, and he’s very deserving of a great job like the one here at Western Michigan.”
Izzo mentioned he was proud as effectively. Somewhat than give attention to the loss to his personal staff that this will likely be, he mirrored on what components of his program he hopes and expects Stephens to carry to Kalamazoo.
“The biggest one, I think: Win,” Izzo mentioned. “Whether he does it with his defense or his offense, whether he plays man or zone — he’s been with Kampe a bit at Oakland, he’s been with Tom Crean at Marquette and he’s been with me the majority of the time.
“I believe (that is) the frequent denominator wherever he is been, he is been part of 5 Closing Fours at our place and part of quite a few Huge Ten championships — my hope for him is, he is been his personal man. I took lots of issues from Jud (Heathcote) however I attempted to be my very own man, I need DJ to be his personal man, however I need him to maintain the custom that we have accomplished and that is sustained successful.”
Sustained winning doesn’t just happen. It comes through sweat equity and unrelenting determination. That’s something Stephens promised to Bronco Nation on Thursday
“No one goes to outwork us, no one,” he said. “Late hours, early mornings. Journeys all around the nation. We are going to discover Western Michigan a few of the greatest gamers you’ve got ever seen. I am a relentless recruiter. … I will get after it, and we’ll discover individuals who will give Bronco Nation what it deserves.”
Tears weren’t the only emotional outburst at Wednesday’s introduction. There were many laughs — the loudest of which came when Stephens expressed the main way his program would be different from his mentor’s at MSU: “We are going to play a zone,” he joked.
He talked about his desire to connect with the Kalamazoo community and his promise to be a fixture at athletic competitions all over campus. That has already started in some respects, he said, as he spent time last month watching Western Michigan, a 1-seed, play in the NCAA hockey tournament.
As for his philosophy of bringing in top-tier talent, he plans to continue to aggressively recruit, while recognizing a need to be adept at navigating the transfer portal. He says that will be a supplemental tool, but his focus will stay with long-term relationships starting with high school athletes.
Emotions varied on his players’ faces as they watched their new leader speak. Many were stoic, but a few appeared optimistic. It was a tough year for Western’s program — an 8-23 campaign, with a last place finish in MAC play (4-16) that didn’t feature packed stands in Kalamazoo.
Stephens vowed to re-engage the community, too. He said he took this job because he knows he can be successful. Then, he doubled down, saying that’s all he’s ever known.
“Bronco Nation, what are you getting in DJ Stephens?,” he rhetorically asked the crowd. “A winner. In every single place I have been, I’ve gained. Oakland. Marquette. Michigan State.
“And now we will win at Western Michigan.”
This text initially appeared on Detroit Free Press: Longtime Michigan State basketball assistant gets ‘overdue’ shot
