Tom Izzo reveals conversations he had with Saddi Washington coaching against former school Michigan

After spending the past eight seasons in Ann Arbor, Saddi Washington made his return to the Crisler Center on Friday, sitting on the visitor’s bench as a member of the rival Michigan State coaching staff.

It was a unique situation for the first-year Spartans assistant, but one longtime Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo addressed with Washington prior to Friday night’s 75-62 road upset of No. 12 Michigan.

“You know, that’s not an easy thing for him. Coach (John) Beilein stopped by and talked to us a little bit in the hotel and I even talked to Saddi about it a little bit,” Izzo said during his postgame press conference. “I mean, he spent (eight) years here, but he didn’t go to school here and I told him blood’s a lot thicker than water, because his dad did go to school at our place. I said, ‘He’ll be looking down proud as hell of you today.’ And I thought he did a good job with the scout too.”

Washington was the lead assistant coach on Juwan Howard‘s staff the past five seasons after joining John Beilein‘s Michigan staff in 2016 following a decade as an assistant coach for Oakland University. Prior to that, Washington was a volunteer assistant at Romulus High School under current Alabama head coach Nate Oats in 2005-06.

As Izzo addressed, Washington has much deeper connections to Michigan State, beginning with his late father, Stan, who a star player for the Spartans from 1963-66. Stan Washington‘s 18 points-per-game and 10.5 rebounds-per-game averages still rank sixth and fifth, respectively, all-time in Michigan State history.

Of course, the connections don’t end there. Saddi’s mother, Veda, and younger brother, Famoun, are also Michigan State alums. Washington, a native of Lansing, played collegiately at Western Michigan in the mid-1990s.

Mike Krzyzewski heaps praise on Tom Izzo for becoming winningest coach in Big Ten history

Mike Krzyzewski was very complimentary of Tom Izzo after the Michigan State coach passed Bob Knight for the most conference wins in Big Ten history.

Izzo earned his 354th Big Ten win with Michigan State last weekend, passing Knight in the process. The Spartans beat Illinois 79-65 and followed it up with two more wins against Purdue and Michigan this past week.

Krzyzewski put Izzo at the top of the mountain in terms of how he reps the Spartans and college basketball.

“There was something very historical that happened this week too in college basketball, my good friend Tom Izzo passed coach Bob Knight, who was my coach, for most wins in Big Ten Conference games,” Krzyzewski said on Sirius XM Show Basketball and Beyond. “And he’s built such an amazing culture. They also had an amazing succession plan, because he was Jud Heathcote’s assistant, and then took over, so he understood Michigan State. 

“I know Michigan State is a great school and that, but no one has represented their school in any aspect better than better than Tom. He’s not just a great coach but he’s a genuine human being, and has been so good for our sport.”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.