Watch new Michigan State basketball assistant coach Saddi Washington mic’d up at practice
Saddi Washington has been a fixture in the Michigan basketball scene since his days as an All-State high school basketball player at Lansing Sexton High School. Washington started his college coaching career in 2006 at Oakland, and now he’s finally back home in the Lansing area, joining Michigan State basketball this offseason as an assistant.
My only question? What took him so long. Coach Washington was mic’d up at practice this week, and you can see pretty quickly that he is right at home with MSU, even saying things like: ‘I finally get to see behind the curtain.’
He looks like he’s having a blast. Watch it below:
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) August 2, 2024
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Check out how the MSU coaching staff shakeup will affect who coaches which positions:
Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo is quietly having a strong offseason, one that is seeing the head man make several moves that fans have been clamoring for. The latest coaching staff shake up is having some positive consequences per the reporting of 247Sports’ Justin Thind.
According to Thind, newly acquired Saddi Washington will be taking over the bigs, being joined by former Spartan standout Austin Thornton in the role.
In return, Jon Borovich and Thomas Kelley will work with the guards, while Doug Wojcik will take an oversight role.
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There’s been a lot of rivalry switching these days with the University of Michigan seeming to be the bigger benefactor of late. But a new hire is going the other way.
In football, Michigan got running backs coach Tony Alford from Ohio State and safety Jaden Mangham from MSU. Linebacker Joey Velazquez ended up joining the Buckeyes. In basketball, the Wolverines got guard Roddy Gayle Jr. from OSU. But one former assistant from the basketball team is heading to the other rivalry.
“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.”
Washington was a longtime assistant under former head coach John Beilein and was retained by Juwan Howard when he took over. However, new head coach Dusty May cleaned house after his hire in order to implement his vision for the maize and blue.
Michigan State basketball is adding a former U of M assistant to their staff
After a few months of speculation, Michigan State basketball has made it official. The Spartans will bring Saddi Washington, a Lansing native, back to his hometown, after he has been in Ann Arbor on the Michigan basketball staff since 2016.
To me, this is a great hire by the Spartans. Washington played for Western Michigan back in the 1990s before he started as a volunteer coach under current Alabama head coach Nate Oats (who has also been linked as a future Tom Izzo replacement as MSU) at Romulus High School. Washington then spent 10 years with Oakland as an assistant and associate head coach, before joining Michigan’s staff in 2016.
Coach Izzo announces staff updates ahead of the 2024-25 season, including the hiring of Saddi Washington as an Assistant Coach 🏀
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) June 6, 2024
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A former Michigan assistant is reportedly interviewing for MSU’s vacancy
Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo is tasked with replacing Mark Montgomery on his bench after the MSU assistant took the head coaching position at Detroit Mercy.
Spartans Wire compiled a list of potential candidates for the position, and among that list was former Michigan assistant Saddi Washington. It now looks like Washington will be a candidate getting a look from Izzo.
Rumors circling social media have surfaced that Washington will be conducting an interview MSU tomorrow. It is unclear at this time if it is a formal in person interview or a zoom call.
Former Michigan Assistant Saddi Washington is expected to interview for the Michigan State Assistant job tomorrow. #gogreen💚 pic.twitter.com/dIP0CTdsND
Washington would be a solid replacement and would get the endorsement of two coaches Izzo respects a ton in John Beilein and Greg Kampe.
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In-state guard Pierre Brooks has Michigan, Michigan State, Xavier, Missouri, Northwestern, Alabama and Arizona State at the top of his list.
[jwplayer uZ2rNte9-XNcErKyb]
Pierre Brooks has been on Michigan’s radar since he was a 14-year-old in the eighth grade.
Assistant coach Saddi Washington first made contact in 2017 during his introductory season working under former coach John Beilein. He kept on Brooks and bridged the recruiting gap from Beilein’s departure to the NBA to first-year coach Juwan Howard.
Three years after Brooks first heard from the Wolverines, the Detroit (Mich.) Douglass Academy 2021 four-star shooting guard picked up the highly coveted offer Jan. 6 after Howard watched him practice.
“I think me and coach Howard have a connection, talking more and stuff like that,” Brooks said. “At first, it was a little confusing in my head, but I now see where they’re going with it.
“I just didn’t know if they were still interested.”
(Isaiah Hole / WolverinesWire)
Michigan is most definitely interested, and Howard solidified himself in a race against Michigan State – led by coach Tom Izzo – for one of the top-ranked recruits in the state.
“Michigan has been recruiting me hard, but Michigan State has a different level of recruiting,” Brooks said. “Michigan and Michigan State are both recruiting me hard.”
Brooks is rated No. 119 in his class, No. 25 at his position and No. 3 in Michigan, according to the 247Sports composite.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard has trimmed his top list to Michigan, Michigan State, Xavier, Missouri, Northwestern, Alabama and Arizona State.
Those are the programs Brooks will decide between when it comes time to take his five official visits. The junior said he will commit before his 2020-21 senior season.
“The schools I’m considering the most is where I’ll take official visits my senior year,” he said.
(Pierre Brooks / Twitter)
The Spartans seem to be the frontrunner for Brooks, as they’ve impressed him with on-court intensity from an offensive and defensive standpoint along with maintaining a relationship off the court.
“I feel like they’ve been doing a great job of keeping in contact with me and making sure they keep me like family in their program,” Brooks said. “Every time I’m up there, they treat me like family.”
Brooks compares himself as a combination between former Michigan guard Jordan Poole and forward Charles Matthews. The self-proclaimed all-around athlete prides himself on his abilities to post-up smaller guards and make jump shots, something that was once considered a negative aspect of his game.
In the offseason, after averaging 23.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a sophomore, Brooks focused on his effectiveness on the perimeter.
And he’s become a better shooter because of it.
“My pros are getting to the basket, facilitating and finding open teammates, finishing through contact and posting up smaller guards,” Brooks said. “My cons are pick-and-roll defense and slowing the pace down to control the tempo in a game.”
(Isaiah Hole / WolverinesWire)
More than anything, Brooks enjoys being able to play without limitations.
The NBA-style Howard has brought to Michigan features a fast-paced offense that breaks down defenses by hustling in transition. While there are still reads and certain sets, Howard allows his players to use their natural abilities.
“I really like the playstyle, and the coaching staff has stayed in contact with me,” Brooks said. “But I like Michigan’s style, the way they let you play a little bit and go if you can really play.”
The Wolverines operate with a specific pace under the 10-year NBA veteran, member of the Fab Five from 1991-94 and new head coach.
And Brooks loves everything about Howard – even extending beyond the hardwood.
“Coach is a legend, and he’s a great guy,” Brooks said. “What he’s doing with the guys now is incredible. Nobody expected him to come in and do what he’s doing now with the program. From what I’ve seen, he’s a great guy, and I really respect him a lot.”
Brooks has been to Michigan six times, most recently for the football game Sept. 15 against SMU. He plans to make a return to watch a basketball game at Crisler Center when his schedule permits.
“I’m going to talk to the coaching staff about it, but I’d definitely like to go,” he said. “It’s a priority of mine.”
The Detroit native hopes to improve his relationship with Michigan’s coaching staff and figure out where he’d fit within the system.
Brooks is already close with Washington, as they’ve known each other for three years, but he wants to grow toward Howard and assistant coaches Phil Martelli and Howard Eisley.
“Coach Saddi, since the eighth grade, has always been recruiting me hard,” Brooks said. “He’s stayed in contact with me, asked family questions and is a relationship guy. He’s always been there.”
The parallel between Brooks and the entire coaching staff as well as giving the young prospect a future role are points of emphasis Howard needs to accomplish if he has plans of landing Brooks over Izzo at Michigan State.
