Michigan State’s men’s basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo announced several staffing changes, with Doug Wojcik moving to assistant coach and three former Spartan standouts returning to the program.

Wojcik, who was an assistant coach under Izzo from 2003-05, returned to East Lansing in 2018 and has spent the last three years as recruiting coordinator.  He returns to his role as an assistant coach following the departure of Dane Fife.
Three former men’s basketball players are also returning back to the Breslin Center to be part of Izzo’s staff.  Former All-Big Ten guard Mark Montgomery, who was an assistant coach under Izzo from 2001-11, will assume the role of recruiting coordinator.  Austin Thornton, who played for Izzo from 2007-12, returns to his alma mater as video coordinator, and Matt McQuaid, who was a captain on the 2019 Final Four team and helped lead MSU to Big Ten titles in 2018 and 2019, will take over as the assistant director of basketball operations.

In addition, Garrett Briningstool, who has served as an executive assistant to Izzo the last two years, moves into a role as the Director of Operations & Chief of Staff.  Briningstool takes over the operations role from David Thomas, a member of the 2000 National Championship team, who departs after six years on Izzo’s staff to pursue work in the private sector. Thomas will be joining Podium Risk Management where former Spartan standout Paul Davis is a partner. Podium Risk Management is one of the leading brands in financial services with a concentrated focus on serving professional athletes, business owners, and C-level executives.

The final addition to the staff is Julian Stall, who joins the team as director of creative video after serving the last four years as part of the MSU Athletics Spartan Vision Team.

“I’m very excited to make the announcement for our staff for next season,” Izzo said. “This is the first time we’ve had some change in our staff in a while, but I think we have some great experience and it means even more when former players want to return to campus to be a part of building our future.

“Dwayne Stephens is one of our mainstays and will remain as our associate head coach while overseeing the entire staff and bringing together a group I am really excited to work with as we start the new season.”

Doug Wojcik, Assistant Coach

• A veteran college basketball coach with more than 25 years of experience
• Returned to Michigan State as recruiting coordinator for the 2018-19 season
• Helped spearhead the 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 6 nationally, including McDonald’s All-American Max Christie
• Spent two years at MSU as an assistant coach and associate head coach and was part of the 2005 Final Four Team
• Has nine years of head coaching experience, compiling a career record of 178-121 during stints at Tulsa (2005-12), where he is the all-time wins leader, and the College of Charleston (2012-14), leading four teams into postseason play, averaging 20 wins per season and transitioning both programs to higher-ranked conferences
• Spent 20 years as an assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Michigan State, Gonzaga  and East Carolina, helping 10 teams reach the NCAA Tournament
• Helped recruit seven McDonald’s All-Americans, four of whom were first round NBA Draft picks.
• Wojcik has coached or recruited 25 NBA players, developing 10 first round draft picks
• While at Tulsa, Wojcik recruited and coached Jordan Clarkson, who was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection in 2015 and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2021
• A member of the Athletics Hall of Fame at the U.S. Naval Academy, Wojcik was a three-year starter and captain and helped lead the Midshipmen to three NCAA Tournaments, including the 1986 Elite Eight

Izzo on Wojcik…
“Doug has been a vital part of our success over the last three years since he returned to East Lansing.  As our director of recruiting, he was the lead for us with an incoming recruiting class that is among the top in the nation.   I’ve known Doug for more than 20 years and he’s one of the best basketball minds I know.  It was natural for him to move into our assistant coaching position when that opened.  He’s got tremendous experience, is a man of incredible character and has a work ethic that is unmatched.”

Mark Montgomery, Recruiting Coordinator

• A four-year starter at Michigan State who was an assistant coach under Tom Izzo for 10 seasons
• Spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Northern Illinois, ranks third all-time in career wins and led the team to 21 wins in 2015-16, the second most in school history
• During his 10 seasons on Izzo’s staff at MSU (2001-11), the Spartans made 10-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and three Final Four appearances
• He coached 26 All-Big Ten players and six NBA Draft picks
• Started his coaching career at Central Michigan and was an assistant at Detroit Mercy during the second half of the 2021 season
• An All-Big Ten Third Team selection under Jud Heathcote as a senior in 1992, Montgomery ended his career as the all-time leader in games played (125), was part of the 1990 Big Ten Championship team, three NCAA Tournament teams and an NIT Final Four team
• Played professionally for four years in Germany, Lithuania and Sweden

Izzo on Montgomery…
“When we knew we were going to have openings on the staff after last season, Monty was one of the guys I had in mind.  He played here under Jud and was on my staff for 10 years when we really got things going.  As a head coach for 10 years and someone who has more than 20 years of experience recruiting in college basketball, he will be a great fit for us as a recruiting coordinator.”

Austin Thornton, Video Coordinator

• Comes back to Michigan State as video coordinator
• Was the head coach for the freshman and varsity boys basketball teams at Sparta (Mich.) High School last season
• Spent two seasons at MSU as a graduate assistant coach (2015-17)
• A former Spartan captain, he played under Coach Izzo from 2007-12
• Part of teams that reached two Final Fours and won three Big Ten Championships
• Co-captain of  the 2012 Big Ten regular season champions and helped lead MSU to the 2012 Big Ten Tournament title, tying a tournament record in 3-point percentage (70.0 percent)
• Played professionally in Switzerland, Australia and Hungary

Izzo on Thornton…
“Austin Thornton is one of the hardest working and most humble players I have coached during my time at Michigan State.  I loved having him on staff as a graduate assistant and he’s worked really hard on the high school level to get himself ready to take a college job.  It’s great to have him back.”

Matt McQuaid, Assistant Director of Operations

• Returns to MSU to take over as the assistant director of operations
• Helped captain the Spartans to the 2019 Final Four, the Big Ten Regular Season Championship and the Big Ten Tournament Championship as a senior
• An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a senior and a member of the Big Ten All-Defensive Team
• Part of Michigan State teams that won back-to-back Big Ten Regular Season titles (2018-19) and two Big Ten Tournament titles (2016, 2019)
• Played one year professionally in Frankfurt, Germany and spent his second season with the Canton Charge, an affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Izzo on McQuaid…
“I’m really excited to have Matt back with us and he really is excited to be on staff and start his professional career. He’ll be a great addition and someone who can relate to our players.  I think this is the start of what could be a great career for Matt.”

Izzo on David Thomas…
“It’s bittersweet to see DT leave, but I’m also very happy for him, Toni and his family. He’s been such a big part of our program for the last 20 years, first with a successful playing career here and being part of three Final Four teams, four Big Ten Championships, and, of course, a national championship team.  Over the last six seasons, since he returned as our director of operations, he has been one of the faces for our program and someone everyone immediately recognizes and loves for the person he is.  We’re really going to miss his presence around here, but know that he’ll be back and that he is, truly, forever a Spartan.”

https://msuspartans.com/news/2021/6/7/m-basketball-mens-basketball-announces-staff-changes.aspx