The coaching staff for Michigan State basketball is set to undergo some changes next season, with another assistant coach moving on to a head coaching position. Mark Montgomery, who has been part of Tom Izzo's coaching team twice after playing for MSU over 30 years ago, has been appointed as the new head coach at Detroit Mercy, as announced by the school on Wednesday. Montgomery expressed his excitement, saying, "Growing up in the area, you heard about the history of the University, the great players, the atmosphere, and historic Calihan Hall. Those teams were nationally known and they played the best and beat the best. I am so honored and humbled to lead the program back to where it was."
The 54-year-old Montgomery brings a wealth of coaching experience, having served as the head coach at Northern Illinois for 9½ seasons. During his time there, his team finished first in the MAC West Division once (2019-20) and reached one postseason tournament (Vegas 16 in 2016). Throughout his coaching career, Montgomery has accumulated a record of 124-170 (.422) as a head coach. Prior to his head coaching role, Montgomery played guard at MSU from 1988-1992 under Jud Heathcote and Izzo, who was an assistant coach at the time. Following a successful four-year playing career in Europe, he began his coaching journey as an assistant at Central Michigan before joining Izzo's staff in 2001.
"I'm thrilled for Monty and very excited for the opportunity he has as the head coach at University of Detroit Mercy," said Izzo. "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."
Montgomery's appointment comes after a challenging season for UDM, where the team lost 30 of 31 games, including all 20 road games. The previous head coach, Mike Davis, was fired last month after six seasons, during which his son, Antoine, became the second all-time leading scorer in men's Division I history.
UDM athletic director Robert Vowels expressed confidence in Montgomery, stating, "Coach Montgomery is a highly distinguished veteran coach who has seen success at both a mid-major and national level. His roots in metro Detroit are well known, he has a national presence as a recruiter, and he has seen what it takes to build a program. He has learned from some of the best coaches in NCAA history and was a standout student-athlete. I feel with all that experience, his previous familiarity with the University and the basketball program from the inside will be important for a smooth transition and he is exactly the coach we need to relate to student-athletes today and to bring our program back to the top of the Horizon League."
Montgomery, a native of Inkster, Michigan, was a standout basketball player at Southgate Aquinas in the mid-1980s, earning recognition as a second-team All-Class B player in 1988. He was part of the renowned 1988 MSU recruiting class that also included state standouts Mr. Basketball Matt Steigenga (Grand Rapids South Christian) and Mike Peplowski (Warren De La Salle). Montgomery concluded by saying, "To all the fans, alums, former and current student-athletes, and the Detroit community, know that I am ready to lead this program and make everyone proud to be a Titan. We will fight and compete, and I expect that my players and staff will embrace the hard work and commitment it takes to win. When we do, we will be proud that all of us are in this together as one Titan family."
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