While Dwayne Stephens was hired as an assistant coach for Penn State in May, he’s been around the program before.
He faced the Nittany Lions during his playing days at Michigan State from 1989 to 1993, and again as an assistant on the Spartans from 2003 to 2022. His brother, Jarrett, was a standout player for Penn State in the late 1990s as well.
Now, Stephens is bringing a wealth of experience to Mike Rhoades’ staff.
Rhoades said Stephens has already made a “great positive impact” as he settles into Happy Valley.
“I just appreciate the opportunity to be here,” Stephens said on Friday. “Obviously, this is a special place to my brother, and I can understand why. After being here for a few weeks now, it’s a unique place like nowhere that I’ve ever seen in terms of a true college town, and I can see just the pride that everyone takes in supporting the university and Penn State athletics, and I’m excited to be here.”
Stephens worked with Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo for 19 seasons, including 11 years as associate head coach. During his time there, the Spartans made 20 NCAA Tournaments and six Final Fours in addition to winning six Big Ten championships and four Big Ten Tournament titles.
He played a role in developing NBA-level talent for Michigan State, such as Draymond Green, Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. This experience allowed him to become known as one of the nation’s top recruiting and player development coaches, according to Penn State’s news release from when he was hired.
“That’s a flagship program that he was at for a long time, was a part of the teams that went to the pinnacle of college basketball,” Rhoades said Friday. “I think that’s a valuable resource for us.”
Prior to joining the Nittany Lions, Stephens was the head coach at Western Michigan from 2022 to 2026. The Broncos went 42-84 when he was at the helm of the program, which led to the team parting ways with him earlier this year.
Still, Stephens has four years of head coaching experience, giving him a unique way to contribute to Penn State’s staff.
“I think it gives you a totally different perspective,” Stephens said. “I can be a much better assistant for coach Rhoades, understanding what he’s going through on a day in, day out basis, hopefully being able to help him with some of the headaches that come with the job when you’re in that top seat.”
With recruiting being one of Stephens’ specialties, Rhoades said he’s all about relationships and helping young players move forward. He mentioned he’s gotten to know Stephens for the past few years, and that Penn State would be a great fit for him and the team.
Stephens said NIL and the transfer portal have changed the recruiting world in recent years, so he won’t lock into a certain area for recruiting. He said he’ll go wherever to recruit players that fit what the team is looking for.
As Stephens begins his time at Penn State to recruit and develop players, he’s said he’s happy to be a part of Rhoades’ staff. However, he did mention in a statement when he was hired that there’s one person more excited about this opportunity than him: his brother.
“It’s great just seeing him at my alma mater,” Jarrett said on Friday. “When I first found out, I was super excited. Hopefully he can bring something special to me for an already special program, and just to see him in the colors is great.”
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