Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo

Michigan State Head Coach 1995–present
Sport(s) Basketball
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Michigan State
Conference Big Ten
Record 529–209 (.717)
Biographical details
Born (1955-01-30) January 30, 1955
Iron Mountain, Michigan
Playing career
1973–1977 Northern Michigan
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1977–1978 Ishpeming HS
1979–1983 Northern Michigan (assistant)
1983–1995 Michigan State (assistant)
1995–present Michigan State
Head coaching record
Overall 529–209 (.717)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2016

Thomas Michael Izzo[1] (/ˈɪzoʊ/, Italian pronunciation: [ˈittso]; born January 30, 1955) is an American college 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.[2] On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.[3]

Under Izzo, Michigan State has been one of the most successful collegiate basketball programs in the country. Izzo has led the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA Division I National Championship, the 2009 NCAA National Championship Game, seven Final Fours, seven Big Ten Championships, and five Big Ten Tournament Championships in his 21 years at Michigan State. The coach with the most wins in school history, Izzo's teams have earned invitations to 19 consecutive NCAA tournaments, in addition to setting the Big Ten record for the longest home winning streak. These accomplishments led analyst Andy Katz at ESPN to deem Michigan State the top college basketball program for the decade from 1998 to 2007. [4]

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. Izzo is just the fifth coach in Big Ten history to win seven conference titles. His immense success during the NCAA Tournament has earned Izzo the nickname "Mr. March" among active coaches.[5][6]

Biography

Playing career

Izzo was born and raised in Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where he met best friend and former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci. Both attended Iron Mountain High where they were teammates on the football, basketball and track teams. At Northern Michigan University in Marquette, where they were roommates, Izzo played guard for the men's basketball team from 1973 to 1977. In his senior season, he set a school record for minutes played and was named a Division II All-American.

Early coaching career

After graduating from Northern Michigan, Izzo was head coach at Ishpeming High School for one season. He then took an assistant coaching job at Northern Michigan University from 1979 to 1983. Izzo was then named a part-time assistant at Michigan State in September 1983. After a short two-month stay in 1986 as an assistant coach at University of Tulsa, Izzo returned to Michigan State when assistant Mike Deane left to become head coach at Siena College. Prior to the 1990–91 season, then coach Jud Heathcote elevated Izzo to associate head coach. After Heathcote's retirement following the 1994–95 season and upon both Heathcote and the Michigan State Athletic Director's recommendation, Izzo was named the new head coach of men's basketball for MSU.[7]

Head coach at Michigan State

Izzo and John Calipari, the two highest paid college coaches in 2012,[8] talk while scouting a blue chip recruit

Hired as head coach at Michigan State in 1995, Izzo is currently the longest-tenured basketball coach in the Big Ten Conference. He became the coach with the most wins in school history after winning his 341st game on November 29, 2009 to surpass Heathcote.[9] In his first two seasons as head coach, Izzo went 9–9 finishing 6th and 7th in the conference and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. In 1998, MSU's record in conference improved to 13–3 and Izzo won the first of his seven regular-season Big Ten championships. 1998 also saw Michigan State begin a streak of 19 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, which is the 3rd longest current streak among Division I teams. Izzo has a record of 46–18 in the NCAA Tournament. In 1999, Izzo won his first of five Big Ten Tournament titles, and went to his first Final Four, the first hree straight Final Four appearances, joining Krzyzewski and Ben Howland as the only three coaches who have made three consecutive Final Fours since the NCAA Tournament bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985. With the instate rivalry with Michigan, Izzo's official record against the Wolverines is 24–14. Although Michigan vacated 5 of their wins in the series at the start of his head coaching career, his record against them by itself remained unchanged.

In 2000, Izzo led MSU to its second NCAA national championship with an 89–76 win over Florida. Eighty-two percent of his players who completed their eligibility left MSU with a degree. Over the years, Izzo has been pursued by the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New Jersey Nets for head coaching jobs.[10][11][12] After a brief flirtation with Cleveland, on June 15, 2010, Izzo reported to the Michigan State University's Board of Trustees that he would remain head coach of Michigan State, in which he stated he was "a Spartan for life."[13]

Izzo fell short of obtaining his second national championship in 2009, losing to North Carolina 89–72. His streak of three straight Final Four appearances from 1999 to 2001 is the third-longest of all time, and his six Final Four appearances in the years 1999–2010 were matched by no other team in college basketball.

In 2013, Izzo was voted as the fifth angriest coach in college basketball by USA Today Sports, an honor that he cherishes.[14]

On November 26, 2015, Izzo won his 500th career game, all with Michigan State, with a win over Boston College in the Wooden Legacy.[15] On January 28, 2016, Izzo won his 513th career game moving him into second place past Gene Keady all time for wins by a coach in the Big Ten.[16] He trails only Bob Knight.[16]

On March 18, 2016, MSU suffered perhaps the single greatest upset in NCAA Tournament history when #15 seeded Middle Tennessee defeated the #2 seeded Spartans 90–81.[17] It was believed that MSU was the equivalent of a #1 seed and Vegas odds had them pegged the favorite to win the title. Middle Tennessee led from start to finish and held off repeated Michigan State threats to take the lead. Despite that, Izzo stated that the team "resurrected me".[18]

On October 13, 2016, Izzo won the Dean Smith Award which is awarded to “an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values of the late North Carolina coaching great.”.[19]

Hall of Fame

On April 4, 2016, Izzo was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[20] Izzo chose former Maryland head coach Gary Williams to introduce him at the Hall of Fame ceremony.[21] He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 9, 2016.[22]

Coaching philosophy

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

Tom Izzo [23]

Izzo's teams are known for strong guard play, toughness and rebounding. Izzo is famed for his "war" rebounding drill, in which the players wear football helmets and shoulder pads.[24] His motto is "Players Play – Tough Players Win".[25] His other coaching philosophies include, "he doesn't determine playing time, players do" and "A player-coached team is better than a coach-coached team." Izzo is also known for scheduling extremely tough non-conference schedules as preparation for the NCAA tournament. This way the players have already played the top teams in the country and won't be fazed come March Madness.

High School Player Development

High School All-Americans

Sixteen High School All-Americans have played for Tom Izzo at MSU:

M = McDonald's All-Americans; J = Jordan Brand All-Americans

Mr. Basketball

Thirteen Mr. Basketball winners have played for Tom Izzo at MSU.

Mr. Basketball of Michigan

Illinois

Indiana

Minnesota

College Player Development

National Player of the Year Awards

Under Izzo, two Spartans have earned National Player of the Year awards:

College All-America honors

Under Izzo, eight Spartans have earned All-America honors

All-Big Ten

Under Izzo, 20 different players have earned first or second team All-Big Ten conference recognition. Five players have been named Big Ten Player of the Year six times under Tom Izzo.

Big Ten Player of the Year

First Team

Second Team

Sixth Man of the Year

Freshman of the Year

NBA player development

NBA Draft

Since he took over as head coach, eighteen players have been selected in the NBA draft. Nine of those players have been drafted in the first round. The former players under Tom Izzo who have made the NBA are: [26]

NFL Draft

Two former Spartan basketball players have joined the National Football League after the conclusion of their college basketball careers.

NBA championships

Coaching tree

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

Several former Izzo assistants were college head coaches:

Current Izzo assistants who were previously college head coaches:

USA basketball

Izzo was head coach of the USA Basketball men's team that took 4th place 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 served on the Collegiate Committee of USA Basketball's 2005–2008 Quadrennium Committees.[27]

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 service members. Among the other coaches were 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 Spartans (Big Ten Conference) (1995–present)
1995–96 Michigan State 16–16 9–9 7th NIT Second Round
1996–97 Michigan State 17–12 9–9 T–6th NIT Second Round
1997–98 Michigan State 22–8 13–3 T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen (4 seed)
1998–99 Michigan State 33–5 15–1 1st NCAA Final Four (1 seed)
1999–00 Michigan State 32–7 13–3 T–1st NCAA Champions (1 seed)
2000–01 Michigan State 28–5 13–3 T–1st NCAA Final Four (1 seed)
2001–02 Michigan State 19–12 10–6 5th NCAA First Round (10 seed)
2002–03 Michigan State 22–13 10–6 T–3rd NCAA Elite Eight (7 seed)
2003–04 Michigan State 18–12 12–4 T–2nd NCAA First Round (7 seed)
2004–05 Michigan State 26–7 13–3 2nd NCAA Final Four (5 seed)
2005–06 Michigan State 22–12 8–8 T–6th NCAA First Round (6 seed)
2006–07 Michigan State 23–12 8–8 T–7th NCAA Second Round (9 seed)
2007–08 Michigan State 27–9 12–6 4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen (5 seed)
2008–09 Michigan State 31–7 15–3 1st NCAA Runner-Up (2 seed)
2009–10 Michigan State 28–9 14–4 T–1st NCAA Final Four (5 seed)
2010–11 Michigan State 19–15 9–9 T–4th NCAA Second Round (10 seed)
2011–12 Michigan State 29–8 13–5 T–1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen (1 seed)
2012–13 Michigan State 27–9 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen (3 seed)
2013–14 Michigan State 29–9 12–6 T–2nd NCAA Elite Eight (4 seed)
2014–15 Michigan State 27–12 12–6 T–3rd NCAA Final Four (7 seed)
2015–16 Michigan State 29–6 13–5 2nd NCAA First Round (2 seed)
2016–17 Michigan State 5–4 0–0
Michigan State: 529–209 (.717) 246–111 (.689)
Total: 529–209 (.717)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hogan, John (July 19, 2008). "Sunday Profile: Tom Izzo, Da Hooper". Grand Rapids Press. Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ Michigan State's Tom Izzo is college hoops' best coach, bar none Retrieved January 23, 2011
  3. ↑ Wire, SI. "Shaq, Iverson, Ming headline Hall of Fame class". www.si.com. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  4. ↑ .Katz, Andy (May 7, 2007). "Spartans' performance stacks up against anyone's". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  5. ↑ http://gottlieb.radio.cbssports.com/2013/03/22/tom-izzo-is-mr-march-when-it-comes-tournament-time/
  6. ↑ Auerbach, Nicole (March 14, 2014). "Michigan State's Tom Izzo is Mr. March". USA Today.
  7. ↑ Tom Izzo Biography CoachIzzo.com Retrieved June 19, 2010
  8. ↑ Tom Van Riper (March 5, 2012). "The highest-paid college basketball coaches". Forbes. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  9. ↑ Izzo sets Michigan State record for wins as Spartans cruise CBS Sports. Retrieved June 19, 2010
  10. ↑ Report: Hawks make offer to Izzo" CNNSI.com, May 12, 2000, retrieved August 7, 2006
  11. ↑ "Izzo not interested in Raptors, plans to stay put" by Kelly Theiser, The State News, June 15, 2004, retrieved August 7, 2006
  12. ↑ "Tom to Tucson: Izzo Top Candidate for Arizona Job" by Chris Domschke "The Beardown" "www.thebeardown.com" November 14, 2008, retrieved November 21, 2008
  13. ↑ IZZO STAYS A SPARTAN WLNS-TV 6 Lansing, Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  14. ↑ "The 10 angriest coaches in college basketball". USA Today.
  15. ↑ "Izzo wins 500th, fueled by Valentine triple-double". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  16. 1 2 "Izzo cherishes chance to pass 'unlucky' Keady in B1G wins". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
  17. ↑ Rutherford, Mike. "Middle Tennessee State's win over Michigan State is the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  18. ↑ "Izzo: "They resurrected me"". SpartanTailgate. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  19. ↑ "Spartans' Tom Izzo wins Dean Smith Award". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  20. ↑ "'It's surreal': MSU's Izzo makes Hall of Fame". Detroit News. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  21. ↑ "Former Maryland coach Gary Williams to introduce Tom Izzo at Hall of Fame enshrinement". Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  22. ↑ "After making the Hall of Fame, only one goal remains for Tom Izzo". Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  23. ↑ McNeill, Kevin (November 19, 2005). "Maui Invitational: Strength of Schedule". collegehoops.net. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  24. ↑ Shelton, Gary. "Spartans are bruisers, and proud of it". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  25. ↑ Ken Mannie; Mike Vorkapich. "Spartan Basketball – Training With a Football Mentality". Coach and Athletic Director. Scholastic Corporation. Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  26. ↑ Spartans in the NBA CoachIzzo.com. Retrieved June 19, 2010
  27. ↑ "USA Basketball: USA Basketball 2001–2004 Quadrennium Committees". January 18, 2002. Archived from the original on December 29, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2009.

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