Mike joined the MSU coaching staff in 1996 and helped coach the Spartans to the 2000 National Championship, seven Final Fours, 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, six Big Ten Tournament Championships, and 10 Big Ten Regular Season titles.

Garland returned for his second stint on the Spartan bench prior to the start of the 2007-08 season, having previously served as an assistant coach for seven seasons from 1996 to 2003. Garland has been on staff for every Big Ten Championship the Spartans have won under Izzo. He excelled in self-scouting and individual player improvement. His instruction led to six Spartans being selected in the NBA Draft during a three-year span from 2000-02. In total, he has worked with 18 Spartans who have been selected in the draft.

In 2006-07, Garland served as associate head coach at SMU under Matt Doherty. Prior to that, he was the head coach for three seasons at Cleveland State, posting a 23-60 record, while increasing the Vikings' win total each season. In his second season, the Vikings improved by six wins in Horizon League play, which was the fifth-best improvement in league history at the time.

Before he became a college coach, Garland enjoyed a successful nine-year stint as varsity head coach at Belleville High School. During that time, he posted a career record of 153-49 (.757) while earning numerous coaching honors. He was selected as the Associated Press 1993-94 Michigan High School Coach of the Year, while also being named the Michigan Mega Red Conference Coach of the Year. Garland, who coached three players to first-team all-state honors during his tenure at Belleville, was named The Detroit News All-Metro West Coach of the Year in 1990-91, while being selected as the All-Suburban Coach of the Year during the same campaign by the Detroit Free Press. His Belleville teams won six Mega Red Conference championships, four district titles and advanced to the state tournament quarterfinals in 1991. He spent five seasons as an assistant at Belleville before being named head coach.

Garland started his coaching career in 1977 with a two-year stint as an assistant basketball coach at Cody High in Detroit. Garland then headed to private business for several years before his desire to teach led him back into coaching as the junior varsity coach at Belleville High in 1982.

Garland earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and community recreation from Northern Michigan in 1977. While at NMU, he was the recipient of the Minority Student Academic Achievement Award. Izzo and Garland were teammates on the Wildcats basketball squad.

Garland's family includes his wife, Cynthia, daughter, Simone, sons Quentin and Michael Ray, and grandchildren Simone, LaNyla, Jacqueline, Amanda, Jeremiah, Helen, Isaiah, and Mikey

Their conversation covered the recent shootings at Michigan State University, Mike's car accident in August 2022, shortly after retirement when he almost died, and lessons that can still be shared with youth in high school and college.

According to a Lansing State Journal article by Graham Couch, and details shared in this interview with Mike,... Garland escaped death against long odds thanks to two men and a team of people he can't thank enough.  

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Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music

Photo Credit : Nick King Lansing State Journal