DeAndre Haynes joins Terrapins as men’s basketball assistant

The University of Maryland men’s basketball program announced the hiring of DeAndre Haynes as an assistant coach for Mark Turgeon’s staff Monday.

Haynes joins the Terrapins after two seasons with Big Ten opponent Michigan. He is leaving the Wolverines a month after John Beilein moved on from there to take the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching job.

“I’m so excited to be joining Mark Turgeon and his incredible staff at the University of Maryland,” Haynes said in a statement from the Maryland athletic department. “The staff and players welcomed me with open arms and I can’t wait to win a lot of games with these guys. I have loved the game of basketball since I was seven years old and I don’t take for granted any day I get the opportunity to coach and mentor.

“I’m ready to hit the ground running and look forward to being in the gym and helping the team improve every day.”

All assistant basketball coaches have their own credentials as they climb the proverbial ladder toward a head coaching job. But Haynes’ reputation seems to stand out in particular, as several of his former colleagues feel he’s been a fast-riser in the college ranks.

“I have had some really great assistant coaches during my tenure at the University of Michigan and I can’t say enough about DeAndre Haynes,” Beilein said via Maryland’s press release. He was one of our absolute best. He prioritizes player relationships and our student-athletes developed a complete trust and love for him. As a teacher of the game, DeAndre helped make our student-athletes better every day and his attention to detail is outstanding. He is also an excellent recruiter with a keen eye for talent.”

Boston College coach Jim Christian, who coached Hayes at Kent State, called him “without a doubt a rising star in this business.”

Haynes, 35, played professionally in Belgium, Hungary, Germany and Finland before returning to the U.S. to begin coaching. He served as an assistant at alma mater Kent State and Toledo before joining Beilein’s staff at Michigan.

The Terrapins had to hire another assistant coach because Kevin Broadus left the staff to take the head coaching job at Morgan State in Baltimore last month.

In a statement, Turgeon said “we hit a home run” with Haynes.

“DeAndre is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the business and has gained experience working for some of the most well-respected coaches in the country,” Turgeon said. “He was an exceptional point guard during his playing days and he possesses a contagious personality that will fit well with our staff and players. We are excited to welcome DeAndre and his family to College Park.”

The Haynes hiring added to the buzz around the Terrapins’ program this offseason. Last week, Sports Illustrated and ESPN both published college hoops offseason power rankings that ranked Maryland top 10 in the country (7th by Sports Illustrated, 9th by ESPN).

After losing only one player, Bruno Fernando, to the NBA Draft, Maryland will return most of its core for the 2019-2020 season while adding some new freshmen with high ceilings — ESPN100 big man Makhi Mitchell, his twin brother Makhel Mitchell and 7-foot-2 center Chol Marial atop that list.