Tom Izzo recalls first time coaching against Bob Knight
The college basketball world lost a great one on Wednesday, as long-time Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bob Knight passed away at the age of 83. Knight had a storied career, highlighted by him helping lead Indiana to three national championship wins in his career and ranking sixth on the NCAA’s all-time wins list with 902 wins.
Another all-time great coach, Michigan State‘s Tom Izzo, recently reflected on Knight’s legacy following his passing, pulling back the curtain on his special relationship with the basketball legend.
“Well first of all Mike him and Jud [Heathcote] were really good friends,” Izzo said. “So when Bob Knight, when I got the job, I mean he called and told me if I don’t cheat and I do it the right way he’s gonna take care of me.”
After 19 seasons at the helm Heathcote passed the Spartans’ head coaching reigns down to Izzo ahead of the 1995-1996 season. Nearly 30 seasons later Izzo remains as Michigan State’s head coach, but he’ll never forget the first game of his career, which happened to be against Knight.
“And you know my first game was Indiana at home, they were good, we weren’t, and we upset them. Everybody told me boy if that happens you’ll see the other side of him,” Izzo said. “I never saw that other side of him, he was nothing but an incredible human being to me, to my program. Helped me in a lot of ways and I think that’s the hardest thing as I watch the passing of Bob, of Coach Knight.”
Knight was known for his fiery personality as a head coach, with antics like throwing chairs and mocking reporters in his career.
But to Izzo and many others, he was known for much more than his sometimes polarizing personality. A larger-than-life figure that had an immeasurable impact on not just college basketball but the sport of basketball as a whole.
“I wish I could tell people that don’t know him how different he is than what sometimes was portrayed because the guy had a heart about this big,” Izzo said gesturing his hands wide. “He gave a lot to a lot of people. So my first game, my first Big Ten win was against Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers and I guess I’ll forever remember that because of the respect I have for him.”
Izzo and the Spartans face Indiana on March 10 in the final game of the regular season for both teams.