In picking up Stan Heath, Eastern Michigan did bring a player back to Ypsilanti, but perhaps not the player many expected. Part of the thinking for a potential new hire was that Eastern Michigan might pick a player from their glory years, especially one with coaching experience at the collegiate or pro levels. There were plenty of former glory-day EMU alums in the coaching ranks who could have qualified for the job, most notably Earl Boykins, currently an assistant with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
But Heath does have both roots, having lettered at Eastern Michigan from 1984 to 1987, and a decades-long resume to fill the void left behind by Rob Murphy.