Michigan State Men's Basketball Adds Assistant Coach Saddi Washington

Michigan State men's basketball will have a Spartan legacy within its coaching staff.

Coach Tom Izzo announced the hiring of Saddi Washington as an assistant coach on Thursday, per a release. Washington is the son of Michigan State men's basketball legend Stan Washington.

"I'm very excited to welcome Saddi to our staff and to bring him back home to the Lansing area," 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 spent the last eight years coaching at Michigan. He also spent 10 years with Oakland before heading to Ann Arbor.

"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."

Michigan State men's basketball has also hired Jon Borovich and Austin Thornton as assistant coaches and promoted Doug Wojcik to associate head coach.

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