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Dwayne Stephens' 'overdue' journey from nailing bike rims on trees to D-I coach at WMU

KALAMAZOO — With the Western Michigan pep band flanking him to the right, his recently introduced players sitting just off the stage to his left and his former mentor, assistants and family directly in front of him, Dwayne "DJ" Stephens paused to wipe the tears from his face.

Not once, or twice, but more than half a dozen times through the hour-long introductory news conference Wednesday at Read Fieldhouse.

That's when it became official — the Ferndale native and long time Michigan State basketball assistant is the 15th coach in Western Michigan men's basketball history.