Dwayne Stephens, who served 19 seasons as an assistant at Michigan State University under legendary head coach Tom Izzo, joined the Bronco family as head coach of the WMU Men’s Basketball team in April 2022.
While their next season hasn’t started yet, Stephens is already coaching his team, at least on the field of life.
"As athletes and coaches, we don't always understand the impact we can have on others," he told WWMT in an interview after the men’s basketball team participated in the Beautiful Lives Project this past June. “I want to teach these guys life lessons beyond basketball.”
The Beautiful Lives Project gives people with disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in activities and events that may not have been previously available to them due to physical or facility limitations. “I'm grateful to Coach Stephens for the opportunity to have people with disabilities get on the court with his Western Michigan team," Beautiful Lives co-founder Bryce Weiler said. "It is the true mark of a college basketball team to give these opportunities that extend beyond basketball.”
Members of the basketball team took time out of their typical summer practice schedule to run through a variety of drills, including shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding and defense, at University Arena. After the drills, everyone gathered at center court for a photo and the Bronco players led everyone in a rousing rendition of the WMU fight song. The players and coaches then signed a souvenir basketball for each participant.
“It was an awesome experience today being out here with all these individuals and getting to interact with them and hear their stories," said senior guard Lamar Norman Jr. “It was inspiring to be out here with them, and it made me happy to see that they were so happy and having so much fun."
You can read more about this story here, and be sure to stay tuned in to what’s happening with WMU Men’s Basketball at wmubroncos.com.