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Detroit Mercy Hires Michigan Assistant Bacari Alexander As Coach

DETROIT (AP) - Bacari Alexander is returning to his alma mater as the new coach at Detroit.

The Titans announced the hiring Friday. Alexander, who is from Detroit, was an assistant at Michigan for the past six seasons. He graduated from Detroit Mercy in 1999 after helping the school reach the NCAA Tournament twice as a player.

"My family and I are excited to rejoin the Titan family," Alexander said. "Over the years, I have been able to work with a number of great mentors and coaches that have fully prepared me for this opportunity."

Detroit fired coach Ray McCallum after the team went 16-15 this season.

Michigan is dealing with significant turnover on John Beilein's coaching staff for the first time in a while. Assistant LaVall Jordan left to become the coach at Milwaukee earlier this offseason.

Alexander played at Robert Morris, then transferred and played his final two seasons at Detroit. After college, he worked with the Detroit Pistons as a player programs coordinator and played two years with the Harlem Globetrotters. He eventually went back to Detroit as an assistant coach under Perry Watson, spending six seasons on the staff.

"This is a great hire for the university and the city of Detroit," Watson said in a statement. "Bacari brings so much enthusiasm, ability and leadership to the program. I have known him since he was a kid and through his upbringing, you can tell he was destined for something great."

Alexander also worked on the staffs at Ohio and Western Michigan before heading to Michigan. While Alexander was with the Wolverines, Michigan won two Big Ten titles and reached a Final Four.

"Bacari is such a perfect fit for Detroit. He is an extremely talented basketball coach and is 100 percent ready to lead the Detroit basketball program now and into the future," Beilein said. "He has always cherished his time as a student and assistant coach at his alma mater and now he gets to fulfill a dream of being the head coach of the Titans."

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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