With the beginning of the 2003-04' NCAA college basketball season Tom Izzo of Michigan State University begins his 21st season as a basketball coach for the MSU Spartans.
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 Directors recommendation Izzo was named the new head coach of men's basketball for MSU.
?I had hoped that someday I would get a chance to coach at a place like Michigan State because I?ve always loved it here,? said Izzo on becoming the 16th head basketball coach in school history. ?This is the type of town, the type of school that I dreamed of being at. Now, I?m going to work as hard as I can to succeed and continue the success that we have had here.?
Izzo not only has continued the success MSU enjoyed in the past but he's exceeded both the Spartan's expectations and their previous success by a great deal.
To date his and the Spartan's accomplishments include, an NCAA National Championship, four regular-season Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, three NCAA "Final Four" appearances, including back to back "Final Four" appearances (the first time in school history), five National Coach of the Year awards and six straight NCAA Tournament appearances including four of the last five NCAA Tournament "Elite Eights" marking the Spartans as only the third college basketball team in the history of the NCAA to achieve this distinction.
With a career record of 189-78 an incredible (.707) winning percentage Izzo has established himself as one of college basketballs premier coaches. The 189 wins in Izzo's first eight seasons at the helm are the fourth most by any coach ever in college basketball after the first eight seasons.
The Spartans seem to have a special knack for consistently performing at an even higher level in the NCAA Tournament. The Izzo coached Spartans have a 19-5 record (.792) winning percentage at the "Big Dance" a record which leads all active Division I basketball coaches who have coached in at least 10 NCAA Tournament games and places him sixth on the all time list.
During one span the Spartans compiled an amazing Big Ten record 53-game winning streak and exerted nearly complete dominance in the conference.
Additionally, in his 21 seasons (2003'-04' marks his 21st) Izzo has brought a certain sense of stability, an important staple to any consistently sucessful progam, to Michigan State basketball. Just consider UCLA (in Wooden's day), Arizona, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Purdue as examples of the importance of stability. There is another tier, in terms of tenure, of coaches in college basketball who have 9 to 15 or so seasons on the job and are building long
term, consistent sucessful programs.
Part way through the 2003-04' season (his ninth as head coach) Izzo reached the 200 win milestone. In doing so he became only the eighth coach ever who had coached at least half of their nine seasons at a Division I school to reach this victory total.
The names of the legendary coaches he joined are: Roy Williams, Everett Case, Denny Crum, Jerry Tarkanian, John Calipari, Tubby Smith and Jim Boeheim. It's interesting to note a few of the "legendary" names
missing from this list, such as, John Wooden, Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski.
Izzo summed up this latest feat in his usual humble fashion by saying, "The 200 wins, I hate to say it, aren't exciting to me, but the names of the coaches that did it in a comparable period of time as we did, that's the part that excites me. It means we're getting something done."
One of the many reasons Izzo is "getting something done" is his outstanding recruiting ability.
Izzo, since his assistant coaching days has been recognized as one of the top college basketball recruiters in the county. Certainly this well earned reputation is borne out by what he has done as head coach at MSU. Izzo has recruited several of the country's most talented high school players including eight McDonald?s All-Americans, seven in the last five years.
Izzo's ability to develop young players may be the most important contributing factor in MSU's amazing record under him. Over a three season stretch (2000-02') MSU has had six players drafted by the NBA including four in the first round. Not only can Izzo recruit but he can teach, a talent which often eludes great recruiters.
The cornerstone of all Izzo basketball training programs, rebounding and defense, are where he begins instilling the fundamentals necessary to be highly sucessful on a consistent basis. The sucess his tried and true method of building a sound basketball team on these principles has enjoyed is borne out season after season as the Spartans are at the top or near the top both in conference and nationally in a myriad number of defensive stats. Bottom line, if you can't or won't learn to play defense, you won't play for Michigan State.
In the process of putting Michigan State basketball back on the national map Izzo has garnered a few awards for himself. He has earned five National Coach of the Year awards from the Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, the United States Basketball Writers Association and Basketball Times. He has been chosen Big Ten Coach of the Year, District11 Coach of the Year several times and District V Coach of the Year.
The impact Izzo has had on MSU is incalculable. It began on the basketball court but now transcends sports. His outgoing "Mr. Nice Guy" personality and his "never say never" work style have led Izzo to become an outstanding ambassador for the school.
?He?s been outstanding for the university in so many ways,? MSU trustee Bob Weiss said. ?We?ve got the best, not only for what he does on the floor, but what he does off the floor." Weiss continued, ?He?s one of the most respected people in the state. He?s a genuine guy who is just terrific with people. He doesn?t forget where he came from. People appreciate that. We?re lucky to have him.?
According to ESPN's Jay Bilas Izzo has entered the elite class of coaches in the country along with Duke?s Mike Krzyzewski.
ESPN?s Dick Vitale has this to say about Izzo, ?His communication ability separates him.? Dickie V goes on to say, ?He communicates well with players, with fans, with media, with alumni, with everyone. That?s a special art to have. That?s what makes him stand out.? ...Baby.
The 2002-03 season proved to be a study in contrasts for Izzo and the Spartans. Their regular season record of 18-11 was for them mediocre at best. However, come tournament time they were yet again positioning themselves as few teams in the history of the NCAA Tournament have ever done.
All the number 7 seeded Spartans did was soundly beat Colorado in the first round, put the wood to the number 2 seed Florida Gators, in Florida, in the second round with a decisive 68-46 thrashing. Then the Izzo inspired Spartans beat the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins by a bucket in a down to the buzzer "Sweet Sixteen" matchup. In the "Elite Eight" they ran out of gas against number 1 seeded and eventual "Final Four" contestant Texas Longhorns.
What a run, the Spartans fourth "Elite Eight" appearance in five years is an accomplishment achieved only by Duke and Kentucky in any five year period since the NCAA expanded the tournament to 64 teams. Izzo, if he needed to, showed conclusively he belonged ranked with the greatest coaches in NCAA Tournament history.
Izzo's success on the national collegiate basketball scene has provided him with the opportunity to coach internationally. He was an assistant to current Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders at the 2001 Goodwill Games held in Brisbane, Australia. The USA Team made up of young NBA players finished with a 5-0 record and won the Gold Medal.
In May of 2003, Izzo was named head coach for the 2003 USA Pan American Games Team. Following the announcement of his selection Izzo said, ?After a great experience with USA Basketball as an assistant at the Goodwill Games, I'm excited to have the opportunity to be the head coach at the Pan American Games. I look forward to working with the best college basketball players in the nation. USA Basketball is a class organization that represents excellence. This is a great opportunity to represent the United States as we work towards winning the gold medal against what is sure to be a challenging field of competition."
Izzo is active in community service. He serves on the John R. Wooden Award Board of Governors, does volunteer work with Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, and has served as honorary chairman of the Memory Walk, with proceeds going to combat Alzheimer's Disease.
The Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame inducted Izzo into its ranks in 1990. He was ushered into the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1998 and received honorary degrees from NMU and Michigan State in 200l.
Izzo and his wife, Lupe, are the parents of a daughter, Raquel and a son, Steven.
Some of his accomplishments are:
An NCAA National Championship
Four regular-season Big Ten Championships
Two Big Ten Tournament titles
Three NCAA "Final Four" appearances
Back to back "Final Four" appearances (the first time in school history)
Five National Coach of the Year awards
Six straight NCAA Tournament appearances
Four of the last five NCAA Tournament "Elite Eights" - Spartans only one of three teams to ever achieve this
Career record of 189-78 an incredible (.707) winning percentage
189 wins in first eight seasons fourth most by any coach ever in college basketball after first eight seasons
Coached Spartans to a 19-5 record (.792) winning percentage at the "Big Dance"
Leads all active Division I basketball coaches with NCAA Tournament wins
Sixth on the all time list for NCAA Tournament wins
Spartans compiled an amazing Big Ten record 53-game winning streak
Reached the 200 win milestone - only seven others reached this mark in the same amount of time
Earned five National Coach of the Year awards
Chosen Big Ten Coach of the Year
District 11 Coach of the Year several times
District V Coach of the Year
Tournament record ranks him with the greatest coaches in NCAA Tournament history
USA Team assistant coach at the 2001 Goodwill Games - team went 5-0 and won Gold Medal
Named head coach for the 2003 USA Pan American Games Team
Inducted into the Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame in 1990
Ushered into the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1998
Received honorary degrees from NMU and Michigan State in 200l
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