Tom Izzo: 'I am not thrilled with where the profession is'

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has seen a lot of change over the years as he prepares to begin his 30th season as the Spartans’ head man. Perhaps nothing has compared to what he’s witnessed in the past few with NIL and transfer portal taking over the college sports landscape, however.

While many of Izzo’s colleagues, such as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who announced his retirement Thursday, have left the game behind, he has chosen to stay. Izzo offered an honest about his displeasure with where the sport is at while also expressing optimism for the future.

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“I am totally looking forward right now,” he said during MSU’s media day. “Looking back will be for when I retire. Honest to God, I don’t know if it’s the new hip, I like the direction our university is going. I make no bones about it.

“…I am not thrilled with where the profession is. I am thrilled about where my team, my players and where I am. I’ve been a part of all these committees for 20 years and what I started realizing is those drag you down too because it’s been depressing the way things have gone where committee members or coaches have no say in anything, to be honest.”

Izzo is now one of only six remaining active coaches in college basketball who have won a national title. He also ranks top 10 among active coaches with 707 career wins and has taken the Spartans to eight Final Fours.

Izzo will turn 70 in January, and one would imagine that he has only a few more seasons of coaching left in him. However, he remains focused on doing what he’s done for the past 26 years: leading Michigan State back to the NCAA Tournament.

The Spartans are coming off of a second-round exit this past season, but the coach is excited for the challenges that lie ahead in a new-look Big Ten.

“I’m looking totally forward,” he said. “New conference, lot of challenges ahead. That’s gonna be exciting and it’s gonna be nerve-wracking. But those are things that everybody’s gotta do, so it’ll be fun to see what the challenges are. …I figure I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me. Not that many to coach, but the ones I have to coach I’m pretty excited about.”

Michigan State tips off the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 against Monmouth.