Northern Illinois University men's basketball is making moves to rebuild its program, and the latest addition to the coaching staff is turning heads. Head coach Matt Majkrzak has hired Devin Whitelow, a 2017 Washington High graduate, as an assistant coach—and he's already calling him a "rising star" in the profession.

Whitelow, who officially joined the Huskies on April 22, brings a blend of fresh energy and proven experience. For the past two seasons, he served as an assistant coach at Emporia State, a Division-II program in Kansas, where he honed his recruiting and player development skills. Before that, he was a graduate assistant at Augustana University in 2022-23 and returned to his alma mater, Winona State, for the 2023-24 campaign.

As a player at Winona State, Whitelow made a name for himself by leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.96) during his sophomore season in 2018-19—a stat that speaks volumes about his court vision and decision-making. Now, he's bringing that same sharp eye to the sidelines.

"Devin is someone that's made a big impact everywhere he's been," Majkrzak said in a statement. "Although I've never coached with Devin, I've always had a tremendous respect for his talent evaluation and tireless work ethic on the recruiting trail. As a native of Illinois, he will be instrumental in keeping the top players in the state playing at NIU."

Whitelow is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity. "I am extremely excited to be joining Coach Majkrzak's staff here at NIU," he said. "The future is bright here and I can't wait to get to work. Go Huskies!"

The hire comes at a pivotal time for Northern Illinois, which finished 9-21 last season (4-14 in the Mid-American Conference). But the program is set for a fresh start: The Huskies officially join the Horizon League for all sports except football on July 1. With a new conference home and a coaching staff that includes a hungry young talent like Whitelow, the energy around Huskie basketball is already building.