More than a year after being fired as the NIU men’s basketball coach, John McDougal, 63, returns to college hoops and to the same conference he coached in for 10 years—the Mid-American Conference.

McDougal accepted Western Michigan Coach Vernon Payne’s offer June 5 to become an assistant coach for the Broncos along with former Ball State Coach Al Brown.

“I’m just very elated to be back doing what I like best to do,” McDougal said. “I want to do it. It’s in my blood. It’s something you get addicted to.”

“If I had the opportunity to hire someone of the stature of John McDougal to work with me, I would jump on the opportunity,” said Payne before McDougal officially was hired. “If you look at John McDougal’s career, you would realize he has a terrific understanding of the game.”

McDougal, who admitted he did not think he would be offered a position after a year away, said his new position would become effective July 1 because his NIU contract does not end until June 30. He remained at NIU after being fired, running the games management department as assistant to men’s Athletic Director Robert Brigham.

McDougal said after he was hired he did not know what his specific jobs would be at Western Michigan. But he rattled off a list of possibilities such as on-floor coaching, recruiting, scouting and academic advisement. Having been only a head coach at a university, McDougal has not done a large portion of the recruiting, but he and Payne said that would not be a problem.

“John was a very effective recruiter at Northern,” Payne said. “He has a youthful zest for recruiting. He can accurately recruit and evaluate talent. Coach McDougal will be involved in every facet of coaching. He’s probably going to have more responsibilities than any assistant in the country.”

McDougal was named coach of the year in the MAC after the 1976-77 season, his first at NIU. Nine years later, NIU withdrew from the conference, and McDougal disagreed with the decision. McDougal was fired after the 1985-86 season after becoming the winningest basketball coach in NIU history, although his overall record was below .500, with 136 wins and 141.

Brigham never gave a specific reason for firing McDougal, but McDougal said he was confident it was related to his objection to the MAC move. Nevertheless, he said he would have no special motivation when the Broncos dropped by Chick Evans Field House, named after the person McDougal surpassed in total victories, Dec. 23 for the first of two games in 1987-88.

“There wouldn’t be any motive for revenge,” said McDougal. “I’m not out to prove anything because I know I can coach.”

Before coaching at NIU, McDougal coached at four Illinois high schools, but he said leaving Illinois for Kalamazoo, Mich., would not cause any major hassles.

“No, it doesn’t bother me,” McDougal said. “The only thing I would regret is if I would be removed from my immediate family and a close circle of friends.”

NIU President John LaTourette said Thursday McDougal probably would not be replaced and his salary of more than $40,000 a year would be distributed on a need basis throughout the university, with athletics given top priority. The internal review of the athletic department, released in April, questioned whether the position McDougal held was necessary considering the work involved.