Izzo hires Boylen as asst. basketball coach

By Alex Abate (Last updated: 08/28/09 6:15pm) Spartan men's head basketball coach Tom Izzo announced Wednesday that Jim Boylen has been hired as an assistant coach.

Boylen returns to the same university that he coached at in previous years. He was an assistant coach from 1987-92 under the direction of former head coach Jud Heathcote.

"I'm thankful for this tremendous opportunity to return to Michigan State," Boylen said in a written statement.

In his first stint here, he worked with scouting reports, game preparation and helped lead the Spartans to the Big Ten title in 1990 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the same year. The team advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1992.

After leaving MSU, Boylen joined the NBA as an assistant with the Houston Rockets. During his 11-year stay in the lone-star state, he helped the Rockets to two NBA championships and only lost two seasons.

In 2003-04, Boylen worked with the Golden State Warriors before working with the Milwaukee Bucks all of last season.

Boylen will bring much versatility to the coaching staff.

"Jim brings 13 years of NBA experience, where he had an opportunity to work with some of the greatest players of all time," Izzo said in a written statement.

Originally Published: 06/02/05 12:00am