Tom Izzo is turning to a Lansing native and son of a Michigan State great as he fills out his coaching staff for 2024-25.
Former Michigan assistant Saddi Washington has been hired as a Michigan State assistant coach, the program announced on Thursday.
“I’m very excited to welcome Saddi to our staff and to bring him back home to the Lansing area,” Izzo said in a statement. “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.
In addition to hiring Washington, Izzo elevated Jon Borovich from recruiting director to assistant coach and Austin Thornton from video coordinator to assistant coach. Doug Wojcik was also elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach.
NCAA rules changed last year to allow programs to have more than three assistant coaches, although only four total coaches are allowed as on-the-road recruiters.
Michigan State had a spot on its staff open after Mark Montgomery was hired as the new head coach at Detroit Mercy.
Despite his last eight years in Ann Arbor, Washington has deep ties to Michigan State and the Lansing area.
Washington’s father, Stanley, was a three-time All-Big Ten player for the Spartans from 1963-66. He finished his career second on the school’s career scoring list. The younger Washington grew up in Lansing and played for Sexton High School.
“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.
Washington went on to play at Western Michigan, where he scored more than 1,600 points. He spent 10 years as an assistant coach at Oakland under Greg Kampe before going to Michigan in 2016.
He served as an assistant coach for eight years at Michigan under both John Beilein and Juwan Howard until Howard was dismissed in March. His tenure in Ann Arbor included a Big Ten title, two Big Ten tournament titles and one Final Four.
Washington will join a staff that will be tasked with breaking the Spartans out of a rut that’s seen them go 41-38 in Big Ten play over the last four years with one Sweet 16 appearance.