Penn State Hires Former Head Coach, Michigan State Assistant Dwayne Stephens

Penn State has hired a former head coach and veteran Big Ten assistant to its men's basketball staff. Dwayne Stephens, who spend the past four seasons as head coach at Western Michigan, joins the Penn State men's basketball team as an assistant coach.

Stephens went 42-84 in four seasons with the Broncos and was let go after the 2025-26 season. Before becoming Western Michigan's head coach, Stephens spent 19 seasons as an assistant for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, where he recruited and mentored some of the Spartans' top players.

"Coach Stephens is one of the most well-respected and accomplished coaches in college basketball,” Penn State coach Mike Rhoades said in a statement. “He brings elite experience from every level of the game — from Final Fours and Big Ten championships, to leading his own program as a head coach.

"He has recruited and developed some of the best players in the country, and his ability to build genuine relationships and impact winning will elevate every part of our program. We’re excited for our players and staff to get to work with him every day and are thrilled to welcome Coach Stephens and his family to Happy Valley.”

Adding a highly-accomplished college coaching vet to the family📍🦁 @DjStephens31 #WeAre | https://t.co/SdmfMgIsDh pic.twitter.com/HtdegejWF9
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) May 12, 2026

Before taking the Western Michigan job in 2022, Stephens spent the last 10 of his 19 seasons at Michigan State as the team's associate head coach. During theat time, Stephens helped Michigan State make five Final Four appearances. He also was an assistant on the 2003 Marquette team that reached the Final Four.

At Michigan State, Stepens earned a reputation as one of college basketball's top recruiters. There he helped recruit and develop players such as Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr., Miles Bridges, Xavier Tillman Sr., Adreian Payne, Branden Dawson and Deyonta Davis.

Stephens' brother Jarrett played at Penn State from 1996-2000 and was a first-team all-Big Ten player. Jarrett Stephens finished his career with 1,372 points (13th in program history) and ranks second in rebounds for a single season (10.5 per game in 2000).

“I can’t wait to get to State College and help coach Rhoades continue to build Penn State basketball,” Stephens said in a statement. “I love what he and his staff are doing. It’s a unique time in college athletics and to have the opportunity to join a group that’s doing it the right way is such a privilege. The only person more excited about this opportunity than I am is my brother Jarrett, a PSU basketball alum."

Stephens' arrival continues the Penn State basketball makeover that began following a 2025-26 season in which the Nittany Lions went 12-20, their first 20-loss season since 2013. Since then, Penn State has lost nine players to the NCAA Transfer Portal, including top scorers Freddie Dilione V and Kayden Mingo.

Rhoades, in his fourth season at Penn State, has signed four new players from the portal, notably Central Connecticut State guard Jay Rodgers and Miami (Ohio) wing Brant Byers. Rhoades has said he wants to close Penn State's inexperience gap after the roster fielded eight freshmen last season.

"It was a really hard year for me," Rhoades said after Penn State lost to Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament. "It was really hard. The world we live in now, you want to give yourself a chance. You want to give your team a chance to be successful. So it's hard.

"The reality, is when you're really young in Power 4 basketball, you're at a disadvantage. So we need to address that. ... "We need to get our young guys bigger, better, and badder and stronger."

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo chats with Western Michigan Broncos head coach Dwayne Stephens. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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