Michigan State adds ex-Michigan assistant Saddi Washington to Tom Izzo’s staff

Michigan State has added former Michigan assistant and Lansing native Saddi Washington to Tom Izzo’s coaching staff.

The move was announced Thursday, two months after Mark Montgomery left the Spartans to lead Detroit Mercy.

Izzo also promoted Jon Borovich and Austin Thornton to assistant coaching roles, joining Thomas Kelley, and named Doug Wojcik associate head coach.

Washington was an assistant coach for the Wolverines for eight seasons, a run that ended when Dusty May was hired to replace Juwan Howard. Former Michigan coach John Beilein hired Washington in 2016 and Howard retained him three years later.

Washington previously was an assistant coach for a decade at Oakland on Greg Kampe’s staff. He started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant in 2005 at Romulus High School for Nate Oats, who went on to become Alabama’s basketball coach.

Washington attended Lansing Sexton High School and went on to play basketball at Western Michigan before playing professionally for seven seasons in the CBA and overseas.

“I’m very thankful to join the program at Michigan State and to come back home,” 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.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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