These numbers don’t lie: 26 straight NCAA’s, 16 Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, eight-time national coach the year, eight Final Four appearances, and the 2000 NCAA national championship.
To say that Tom Izzo, Hall of Fame class of 2016 and head coach of the Michigan State Spartans men’s basketball team since 1995, is not one of the game’s greats is foolish thinking. When he succeeded his mentor Jud Heathcote after 12 years as a top assistant, such luminaries as Clem Haskins, Gene Keady, and Bob Knight were on their respective sidelines. Now, nearly 30 years later, Izzo is the Big Ten’s longest-serving men’s basketball coach and is respected worldwide.
Being around the Dean of Big Ten coaches, who will turn 70 in January, is never boring. He’s always good for a quote or two; sometimes a little colorful and not for all audiences. And If he ever wanted to step away from the game he loves, Izzo’s legendary status is rock solid.
“I feel better now than I did five years ago, and I don’t think it’s age,” Izzo told reporters, including the MSR at this year’s media days. “Right now. I’m still interested in the fight. Right now, I’m still interested in seeing what we can do.”
And you better believe Izzo is as refreshingly outspoken as ever. He’s not a fan of the transfer portal, but he has gotten used to it.
“If a kid wants to leave, he leaves,” stressed Izzo, who has coached 25 former Spartans who went on to play at least one game in the NBA and 45 players who earned all-conference recognition. His ability to take young talent, develop them, and allow them time to grow into a solid performer is well known.
But times have changed; players don’t have that kind of patience, that kind of standpower to stick it out through thick and thin. He said that he doesn’t think Clem, Gene, and Bob would survive in today’s college sports landscape.
“They all think these players are ready to go to the NBA,” Izzo said about many of today’s players. “Six might have a slim chance to make it. We haven’t lost a lot of kids, and it’s because I think we spend time with them and telling the truth. Thank God they got families and themselves that look at it that way.
“It’s been difficult for 99% of the freshmen to have an impact,” said Izzo. “When you look at the last five years, everybody’s trading for fourth- and fifth-year guys, and a 23-year-old is better than 90% to 99% of the 18-year-olds.
“Kids will go different places now just to play, and some of that is because of NIL [name, image, likeness rule]. NIL opportunities will be bigger if you’re playing and scoring points and touchdowns. It’s a challenge, but I’m cool where we are.”
Veteran coaches in both basketball and football have opted out of coaching their sport, in part because of the portal and NIL uncertainties. But not Izzo. Not yet, anyway. Izzo, who is 10 wins away from becoming the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach (now 343), will bring his Michigan State Spartans to town and play at Minnesota on Dec. 4.
“I think there’s a lot of good I can still give to the game, to the players, and still get some more wins left in the eye,” Izzo said.
Retire? “I really haven’t thought about it,” reiterated the longtime veteran coach.