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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Inside Anthony Stacey’s return to Bowling Green
January 22, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Inside of the Stroh Center, their rests a wall which has the numbers and names of multiple BGSU basketball legends painted on it, one name set under the number 34, Anthony Stacey, finds himself back on the site of his number in the Stroh Center, accepting a job to join the assistant coaching staff for the BGSU men's basketball team under head coach Todd Simon.
Stacey attended BGSU from 1996 to 2000, scoring 1,938 career points with the Orange and Brown—the second-most in program history, along with 226 steals—a school record.
He was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year in 1997, the MAC Player of the Year in 2000 and a two-time First Team All-MAC selection.
"Obviously, this place is really dear to my heart. I love Bowling Green and came here at 18 years old. The place has always been so special to me," said Stacey. "I just missed this place and have a really good relationship with coach Simon and the rest of the staff; we got along really well. Over time, we developed a really good friendship. You know, he asked me what I think about coming back. It just was perfect."
Stacey was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 2011. With such a vast pool of experiences as a player, he uses those memories to coach the next generation of players.
"He never talks about it in like a bragging type of way. He always talks about his experiences and uses things that he did on the court to help us," said senior guard Javon Ruffin. "I mean, it's just because of all that he's done, and we all know what he's done, it gives us so much respect just for him."
While Stacey is new to Simon's coaching staff, he's not new to coaching at Bowling Green. In 2015, he accepted an invitation to join former head coach Michael Huger's coaching staff.
Stacey remained on Huger's staff until 2020, when he accepted a position as the head coach at Whitmer High School, leaving Bowling Green for a new opportunity. During this time, Stacey went 20-5 with the Panthers in 2021-22, reached the regional semifinals in 2024-25 and coached current BGSU freshman guard Mahki Leach for two years.
Stacey rejoined the BGSU coaching staff in September of 2025, where he returned to his role as a member of the coaching staff.
"I was an assistant coach before. So, you know, it's a little bit different role. But at the end of the day, you're still leading young men and trying to get the guys to do things that give us the best chance of winning," said Stacey. "So, I think it's a little bit of an adjustment, but I've done it before. It's not some huge change. But like I said, I'm really excited."
While Stacey is back in his old role, the differences between the Simon and Huger systems are different.
"Yeah, we're playing a little bit different style. I think we're obviously a lot bigger this year. We've gotten really big on the perimeter as well," said Stacey. "The style's a little bit different, but at the end of the day, you still have to guard. You can't turn the ball over, you got to try to dominate the rebounding battle."
Even under a new coaching staff and roster, Stacey hasn't lost the fire he once had when he was playing in the Anderson Arena.
"I think he's intense. He makes sure that everyone's locked in the whole time. So, he definitely brings out intensity, and it's the intensity he had when he was on the court," said Ruffin. "He's just a really smart, smart and controlled player. So he's always telling me stuff like playing off two feet and being smart with the passes."
So far, that intensity seems to be paying off. Bowling Green is 13-6 this season since Stacey joined the coaching staff and will have many more games to play with a BGSU legend now standing alongside a new Falcon team.
Stacey attended BGSU from 1996 to 2000, scoring 1,938 career points with the Orange and Brown—the second-most in program history, along with 226 steals—a school record.
He was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year in 1997, the MAC Player of the Year in 2000 and a two-time First Team All-MAC selection.
"Obviously, this place is really dear to my heart. I love Bowling Green and came here at 18 years old. The place has always been so special to me," said Stacey. "I just missed this place and have a really good relationship with coach Simon and the rest of the staff; we got along really well. Over time, we developed a really good friendship. You know, he asked me what I think about coming back. It just was perfect."
Stacey was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 2011. With such a vast pool of experiences as a player, he uses those memories to coach the next generation of players.
"He never talks about it in like a bragging type of way. He always talks about his experiences and uses things that he did on the court to help us," said senior guard Javon Ruffin. "I mean, it's just because of all that he's done, and we all know what he's done, it gives us so much respect just for him."
While Stacey is new to Simon's coaching staff, he's not new to coaching at Bowling Green. In 2015, he accepted an invitation to join former head coach Michael Huger's coaching staff.
Stacey remained on Huger's staff until 2020, when he accepted a position as the head coach at Whitmer High School, leaving Bowling Green for a new opportunity. During this time, Stacey went 20-5 with the Panthers in 2021-22, reached the regional semifinals in 2024-25 and coached current BGSU freshman guard Mahki Leach for two years.
Stacey rejoined the BGSU coaching staff in September of 2025, where he returned to his role as a member of the coaching staff.
"I was an assistant coach before. So, you know, it's a little bit different role. But at the end of the day, you're still leading young men and trying to get the guys to do things that give us the best chance of winning," said Stacey. "So, I think it's a little bit of an adjustment, but I've done it before. It's not some huge change. But like I said, I'm really excited."
While Stacey is back in his old role, the differences between the Simon and Huger systems are different.
"Yeah, we're playing a little bit different style. I think we're obviously a lot bigger this year. We've gotten really big on the perimeter as well," said Stacey. "The style's a little bit different, but at the end of the day, you still have to guard. You can't turn the ball over, you got to try to dominate the rebounding battle."
Even under a new coaching staff and roster, Stacey hasn't lost the fire he once had when he was playing in the Anderson Arena.
"I think he's intense. He makes sure that everyone's locked in the whole time. So, he definitely brings out intensity, and it's the intensity he had when he was on the court," said Ruffin. "He's just a really smart, smart and controlled player. So he's always telling me stuff like playing off two feet and being smart with the passes."
So far, that intensity seems to be paying off. Bowling Green is 13-6 this season since Stacey joined the coaching staff and will have many more games to play with a BGSU legend now standing alongside a new Falcon team.
Players Mentioned
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