Western Michigan Fires Basketball Coach After Four Seasons

DJ Stephens, a longtime Michigan State assistant, was let go by the Broncos.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Western Michigan University has fired head men's basketball coach DJ Stephens after four seasons with the program. Athletic director Dan Bartholomae informed the players of the decision in a team meeting on Sunday morning. Stephens, 54, had two years remaining on the contract he signed in 2022 after a long tenure as an assistant coach under Tom Izzo at Michigan State.

Why it matters

Stephens' dismissal comes after the Broncos struggled during his four-year tenure, never winning more than 12 games in a season and failing to make the Mid-American Conference tournament this year. The move represents a change in leadership for the Western Michigan basketball program.

The details

In his four seasons as head coach, Western Michigan compiled a 42-84 overall record. The Broncos were 9-9 in the MAC the previous two seasons but fell to 4-14 this year. Stephens was previously an assistant coach at Marquette and Oakland before joining Izzo's staff at Michigan State in 2003, where he built a reputation as one of the most respected assistants in college basketball.

  • Western Michigan fired Stephens on March 8, 2026.
  • Stephens was in the fourth and final year of his contract with the Broncos.

The players

DJ Stephens

A 54-year-old former assistant coach at Michigan State who was in his first head coaching job at Western Michigan.

Dan Bartholomae

The athletic director at Western Michigan University who informed the players of Stephens' dismissal.

Tom Izzo

The longtime head coach at Michigan State, where Stephens served as an assistant for 19 seasons before taking the Western Michigan job.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Western Michigan never found their footing during his tenure.”

— Tony Paul, Author (yahoo.com)

What’s next

Western Michigan will now begin a search for a new head basketball coach.

The takeaway

Stephens' dismissal after four seasons as Western Michigan's head coach highlights the pressure to produce results at the Division I level, even for experienced assistants making the jump to their first head coaching job.