Izzo adds former guard Thomas Kelley to Michigan State staff

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo added former Spartans guard Thomas Kelley to his staff on Friday.

Kelley is replacing Dwayne Stephens as an assistant coach. S

A former Grand Rapids Union High School star, Kelley played for the late Jud Heathcote in his final season at Michigan State (1994-95) and the next four years for Izzo. Kelley began coaching in 2015 for Izzo as a graduate manager after playing overseas for 15 seasons.

“It’s always been a thrill for me when I can bring a former player back to Michigan State and that’s definitely the case with Thomas coming back as an assistant on my staff,” Izzo said. “I’ve known Thomas for nearly 30 years, from recruiting him, coaching him and then having him on my staff when he started his career."

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25