Tom Izzo

Coach Tom Izzo

Izzo's teams are known for toughness and rebounding. Izzo got attention when people learned of his "war" rebounding drills, in which the players have sometimes worn football helmets and shoulder pads. His motto is "Players Play - Tough Players Win".

Tom Izzo at a Glance

Tom Izzo (born January 30, 1955 in Iron Mountain, Michigan) is an American basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success in the program's history.

Under Izzo, the Michigan State program has been one of the most successful in the country. Izzo has led the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA Division I National Championship, five Final Fours, and five Big Ten Championships in his first 14 years at Michigan State. The winningest coach in school history, Izzo's teams have been invited to the past 12 consecutive NCAA tournaments, in addition to setting the Big Ten record for the longest home winning streak. These accomplishments led an analyst at ESPN to deem Michigan State college basketball's top program in the decade from 1998 to 2007.

Currently the longest tenured coach in the Big Ten Conference, Izzo, whose teams are often recognized for their rebounding prowess and defensive tenacity, has won four national coach of the year awards and maintains a considerable coaching tree?several of his former assistants are currently head coaches at other Division I schools.

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Head coach at Michigan State

Hired as head coach at Michigan State in 1995, Izzo is currently the longest-tenured basketball coach in the Big Ten Conference. After going to the NIT in 1996 and 1997, Michigan State began a streak of ten straight NCAA tournament appearances which has not yet been broken. He has coached his teams to four regular-season Big Ten championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, four NCAA Final Four appearances, and one NCAA national championship. Since he became head coach, every player that he has recruited and who completed their full eligibility has gone to the Final Four. Also, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility left MSU with a degree. He is considered one of the best college basketball coaches of all time while making the Michigan State program one of the top 10 programs in the last 10 years. Tom brings a toughness to the game that is admired by both fans and opponents. Izzo likes to play a tough defensive style game coupled with an uptempo offense to "wear out the opponent." Rebounding has been a staple at MSU during his era, many times leading the nation in rebounding margin.

Early coaching career

After graduating from Northern Michigan, Izzo was head coach at Ishpeming High School for one season before returning to NMU where he worked as an assistant coach until 1983. He started in 1983 as a part time assistant and was an assistant at MSU thru the 1985-86' season. Following the 86' campaign he moved on to Tulsa to become the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. His basketball destiny however required he return to MSU which he did in June of 1986.

Since his return its reasonable to say Izzo has been directly responsible for Michigan State basketball again rising to national prominence. Prior to the 1990-91' season his outstanding work was acknowledged when his boss, then current coach Jud Heathcote, elevated Izzo to associate head coach.

After Heathcote's retirement following the 1994-95' season and upon both his and the Michigan State Athletic Director's recommendation, Izzo was named the new head coach of men's basketball for MSU.

Other Coaching Opportunities

Izzo has had opportunities to become a coach in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks offered him a head coaching job in 2000, following MSU's national championship.

He was contacted by the Toronto Raptors in 2004, but stated "I have a commitment to this program and that is to try to win another national championship."

In 2006, after MSU football coach John L. Smith was fired, internet rumors claimed Izzo was a candidate to replace him. Izzo put that to rest, saying he has "business to finish" as the Spartans' basketball coach. He has thought of coaching football before, and said that "football has been a love of mine beyond most normal human beings."

Tom Izzo was rumored to be a top candidate to replace Tubby Smith as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats after Smith accepted the head coaching job at the Minnesota Golden Gophers on March 22, 2007. Izzo was contacted by Kentucky administration, but declined to have formalized talks. Since then, Kentucky has hired Billy Gillispie away from Texas A&M.

USA basketball

Izzo was head coach of the USA Basketball men's team at the 2003 Pan American Games. Prior to that he was assistant coach of the team that had a 5-0 record and won the gold medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games. Izzo currently serves on the Collegiate Committee of USA Basketball's 2005-2008 Quadrennium Committees.

Operation Hardwood

In 2005 and 2006, Izzo participated in Operation Hardwood, in which college coaches went to Kuwait military camps to coach basketball teams of American servicemembers. Among the other coaches were Kelvin Sampson, Tubby Smith, Gary Williams, and Rick Barnes. In 2005, Izzo's team won the tournament championship.

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Michigan State (Big Ten Conference) (1995 - Current)
1995-1996 Michigan State 16-16 9-9 7th NIT
2nd Round
1996-1997 Michigan State 17-12 9-9 T-6th NIT
2nd Round
1997-1998 Michigan State 22-8 13-3 T-1st NCAA
Sweet 16
1998-1999 Michigan State 32-5 15-1 1st NCAA
Final Four
1999-2000 Michigan State 31-7 13-3 T-1st NCAA Champions
2000-2001 Michigan State 27-5 13-3 T-1st NCAA
Final Four
2001-2002 Michigan State 18-12 10-6 5th NCAA
1st Round
2002-2003 Michigan State 21-13 10-6 T-3rd NCAA Elite Eight
2003-2004 Michigan State 17-12 12-4 T-2nd NCAA
1st Round
2004-2005 Michigan State 25-7 13-3 2nd NCAA
Final Four
2005-2006 Michigan State 21-12 8-8 T-6th NCAA
1st Round
2006-2007 Michigan State 22-12 8-8 T-7th NCAA
2nd Round
2007-2008 Michigan State 17-2 5-1
Michigan State: 295-123 136-64
Total: 295-123
National Champion, Conference Champion, Conference Tournament Champion

More Izzo Quotes and Notes

Quotes:

"We'll play anybody, anyplace, anytime. It doesn't matter, morning, noon or night, and it doesn't matter who it is."

"Players Play - Tough Players Win."

"I'm so sick of people saying, 'He's a defensive coach, he's a rebounding coach.' I want to be a great defensive coach, a great rebounding coach, a great running-game coach, a great offensive-execution coach, a great special-teams-sidelines-out-of-bounds coach. I want utopia. I want my players to want utopia.

Notes:

His .727 winning percentage (24-9 record) in the NCAA tournament ranks third among all active coaches with 10 or more games coached
Holds Big Ten record 53-game home court winning streak

Named his son Steven Thomas Mateen Izzo, in honor of his best friend and former NFL head coach, Steve Mariucci, and also Mateen Cleaves, point guard on the 2000 National Championship Team.

Inducted to the Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1998.

Every MSU Basketball player who has stayed 4 years under Coach Izzo has played in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

Coaching tree

Several of Izzo's former assistants are currently head coaches at other schools:

Tom Crean, Marquette University

Brian Gregory, University of Dayton

Stan Joplin, University of Toledo

Doug Wojcik, University of Tulsa

Jim Boylen, University of Utah

Stan Heath, University of South Florida

In addition, Mike Garland used to be head coach at Cleveland State.