MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (WLNS) — Central Michigan University announced Thursday Mason High School alumni and former Michigan State assistant Kristin Haynie will be the next women’s basketball coach.

Haynie was previously at CMU as an assistant from 2014-17 under Sue Guevara and spent the last four seasons working with former MSU women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant.

Over the last month, Haynie has been as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.

“I am thrilled to be here,” Haynie said. “What a great opportunity to be coaching in my home state and in this incredible Mount Pleasant community. I want to thank Amy Folan, Dr. Robert Davies, and the rest of the university for making this dream come true. I am excited to get to know the players and invest in them on and off the court and to continue to bring championships to this amazing program.”

Haynie also had a stellar playing career at MSU. She is the school’s career leader in assists (574) and steals (346).

She also was selected with the ninth pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs and won a WNBA title in her first season as a pro.

“It’s exciting to have Kristin leading our program,” Folan said. “She is a Michigan girl that learned basketball here. Basketball has taken her to a Big Ten Championship, an NCAA Final Four, a WNBA championship, and all around the world. She is part of the Sue Guevara and Suzy Merchant coaching tree. As two women who have had a tremendous impact on this program and the game nationally, Kristin is a perfect fit for our student-athletes at Central Michigan. It’s nice to have her back home in Mount Pleasant to lead our program.”

“We are delighted to welcome Coach Haynie back to CMU,” said CMU president Bob Davies. “In our conversations, it was immediately clear that she shares our commitment to helping our student-athletes achieve a degree on one hand and a championship ring on the other. I know she will push our amazing team to excel on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.”