Tom Izzo: A Man Among Boys

What Tom Izzo has done as coach of the Michigan State Spartans can be summed up in one word: miraculous. Just how good is Izzo? In his thirteen-year tenure at Michigan State he has taken his Spartans to six final fours. In those 13 years, Izzo boasts a 77% winning percentage and 35 wins in the tournament. The Spartans’ appearance at the final four this year means that every upperclassman Izzo has coached at Michigan State has enjoyed at least one visit to the final four. No wonder Izzo has been able to recruit so many McDonald’s All-Americans; who doesn’t want to play for a guy who can come into your living room and promise you a final four appearance?

Izzo has done some amazing coaching in past tournaments, but nothing compares to this year. The basketball gods did everything they could to keep Izzo out of the final four: his team was underseeded, placed in the region of death, and lost its star player Kalin Lucas in the second round. Yet, somehow Tom Izzo managed to perform another March miracle to get his team to the final four. So, now you are wondering, how does this guy not crack the top ten list of highest paid college basketball coaches? The answer is that Tom Izzo, unlike a lot of coaches, is a stand-up guy who cares more about his players than his next paycheck.

If a sleazy coach like John Calipari--who has had 1/10 of the success of Izzo with twice the talent--had Izzo-like accolades, he would be chomping at the bit to go to whatever school offered him the most money (he would have also racked up a few recruiting violations and ruined a few programs along the way). On the other hand, Tom Izzo is a coach who wants to see his players succeed on and off the court. Izzo has seen 12 of his Spartan players drafted into the NBA, and, in an era of college sports where the term “Student-Athlete” seems to have no meaning, has graduated 88% of his players that complete eligibility.

And who knows, maybe after this season Izzo will accept Oregon’s reported offer that will make him the highest paid coach ever (which I won’t mind, as I am a member of the Quack Attack Nation). Even if he does accept the bigger check, I guarantee you this: Tom Izzo will continue to invest time in his players, and I don’t expect to see him spending his extra money on fancy cars and excessive material things. Tom Izzo is very active in the community, always donating money to charitable organizations. In fact, just last year Izzo was presented with the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award, recognizing his work in helping those suffering from cancer. It is always nice when good guys like Tom Izzo come out on top.

-The Southern Gentleman