(WXYZ) — Mike Garland, who served as an assistant coach under Tom Izzo for 22 seasons at Michigan State, announced his retirement on Thursday.
"My absences won’t remove the love of Michigan State from my heart or their love for me from their hearts," said Garland. "I’ll always be a part of this program and will always carry the relationships and friendships I’ve made here with me."
Garland joined Izzo's staff in 1996 and remained until 2003, when he took the head coaching job at Cleveland State. He returned to Michigan State in 2007.
“Words can’t truly express what Mike Garland mean to me," said Izzo. "We’ve been friends since we met the first night in college and basically have lived the rest of our professional lives together. To say he’s just my friend doesn’t even scratch the surface of our relationship. He’s my brother for life."
During Garland's time on staff, the Spartans won a National Championship and six Big Ten Tournament Championships.
