MSU Assistant Coach Mark Montgomery Leaves for HC Job

Former Michigan State men's basketball assistant coach Mark Montgomery has been hired as the next head coach at Detroit Mercy.

Mark Montgomery has said goodbye to the Michigan State men's basketball program once again.

The longtime MSU assistant coach is returning to Detroit Mercy to serve as its men's basketball head coach, UDM announced on Wednesday. He had previously served as an assistant coach for the program during its 2021 season.

Montgomery, a former MSU basketball player, spent two different stints as an assistant on Spartans coach Tom Izzo's staff, his longest having been from 2001 to 2011. Following his time as head coach at Northern Illinois and his stint with Detroit Mercy, Montgomery re-joined Izzo's staff in 2021.

"To Coach Izzo, I thank you for always being there for me and guiding me through the coaching realm and helping me to get to where I am today," Montgomery said in a statement from UDM. "You have been not only a teacher and mentor, but a friend and I thank you for always being there for me."

While Izzo is losing an important asset to his staff, he expressed his support for his longtime assistant, whom he also coached during Montgomery's playing days at MSU (1988-1992).

"I'm thrilled for Monty and very excited for the opportunity he has as the head coach at University of Detroit Mercy," Izzo said in UDM's statement. "Monty returned to Michigan State three years ago and has been an important part of my staff and our recruiting. He is one of the best and brightest coaches I've worked with during my career. Monty has a great understanding of the game, he's called our offensive sets and is an incredibly hard worker who is very organized and knows how to run a program. Monty played at Michigan State and has spent a good part of his career with our program and while I'm sad to see him leave, I'm happy for him, his wife Alex and their family. I think this is a great opportunity for Monty to run the program in Detroit and look forward to seeing the success he has there."

Montgomery was on the Spartans' staff for four of Izzo's eight Final Four runs.

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