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==Playing career==
==Playing career==
Raised in [[Iron Mountain, Michigan]] along the [[Wisconsin]] border, Izzo attended [[Northern Michigan University]] in [[Marquette, Michigan|Marquette]] from [[1973]]-[[1977|77]], where he played guard for the basketball team. In his senior season, he set a school record for minutes played and was named a [[Division II]] [[All-American]]. He is still close friends with his childhood friend, [[Nate Johns]], who was his teammate at [[List of high schools in Michigan#Dickinson County|Iron Mountain High School]] and NMU.
Raised in [[Iron Mountain, Michigan]] along the [[Wisconsin]] border, Izzo attended [[Northern Michigan University]] in [[Marquette, Michigan|Marquette]] from [[1973]]-[[1977|77]], where he played guard for the basketball team. In his senior season, he set a school record for minutes played and was named a [[Division II]] [[All-American]].


==Early coaching career==
==Early coaching career==
After graduating from Northern Michigan, Izzo was head coach at [[List of high schools in Michigan#Marquette County|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 1986 campaign he moved on to Tulsa to become the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. His basketball destiny, however, required that he return to MSU which he did in June of 1986.
After graduating from Northern Michigan, Izzo was head coach at [[List of high schools in Michigan#Marquette County|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 thruough the 1985-86 season. Following the 1986 campaign he moved on to Tulsa to become the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. His basketball destiny, however, required that he return to MSU which he did in June of 1986.


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.
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.
Line 65: Line 65:


==Operation Hardwood==
==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 [[Tubby Smith]], [[Gary Williams]], and [[Rick Barnes]]. In 2005, Izzo's team won the tournament championship.
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==
==Head coaching record==

Revision as of 17:41, 16 March 2008

Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo (born January 30, 1954 in Iron Mountain, Michigan) is the men's basketball coach for Michigan State University. Under Izzo, the program has been one of the most successful in the country, having won a national championship in 2000 and sent many players to the NBA. The Spartans have reached the Final Four in four of the past nine seasons, more than any other team during that time. Izzo has won four national coach of the year awards. His 233 wins in his first ten years as head coach rank seventh in the history of college basketball. His streak of three straight Final Four appearances from 1999-2001 is the third-longest of all time.

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.

Coaching philosophy

File:Tom Izzo at Midnight madness.jpg

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. [1] His motto is "Players Play – Tough Players Win"[2]

Player development

Five of Izzo's players have been named to All-America teams. Since 2000, ten have been selected in the NBA draft, third most in the NCAA. Six of those went in the first round. Some of the notable alumni are (current team): Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Mateen Cleaves (formerly of the Seattle SuperSonics now playing in Greece), Zach Randolph (New York Knicks), Jason Richardson (Charlotte Bobcats), Alan Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats), Shannon Brown (Chicago Bulls), Maurice Ager (New Jersey Nets), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers).

Coaching tree

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

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

Playing career

Raised in Iron Mountain, Michigan along the Wisconsin border, Izzo attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette from 1973-77, where he played guard for the basketball team. 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 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 thruough the 1985-86 season. Following the 1986 campaign he moved on to Tulsa to become the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. His basketball destiny, however, required that he return to MSU which he did in June of 1986.

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.

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[3].

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. [4] 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." [5] 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."[6]

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.

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

Statistics overview
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 31-5 15-1 1st NCAA Final Four
1999–2000 Michigan State 30-7 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 25-8 12-6 5th
Michigan State: 303-129 145-69
Total: 303-129

      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

Quotations

  • “We’ll play anybody, anyplace, anytime. It doesn’t matter, morning, noon or night, and it doesn’t matter who it is.”[7]
  • "Players Play – Tough Players Win."[8]
  • "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."[9]
  • "I'll remember that!"

Notes

  • His .727 winning percentage (23-9 record) in the NCAA tournament ranks third among all active coaches with 10 or more games coached [10]
  • 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[11]
  • Inducted to the Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame in 1997
  • Every MSU Basketball player who has stayed 4 years under Coach Izzo has played in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
  • Big Ten winning percentage is second all time only to Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan - but highest all-time of coaches with over ten years in the Big Ten


References

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