Tom Izzo sticks up for Mike Woodson following 65-64 loss to Indiana

Indiana head coach Mike Woodson led his team to a 65-64 victory over the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday. Recently, the Hoosiers announced that he would be coming back for one more year, despite plenty of questions surrounding his job security the past few weeks. Following the Spartans loss to Indiana, Tom Izzo stuck up for the embattled head coach in his postgame press conference.

Tom Izzo came to Mike Woodson's defense postgame after weeks of questions surrounding Woodson's job security.

"Somebody's got to stick up for him coming back next year." #iubb pic.twitter.com/GjO1hGGwsW

— Jared Kelly (@Jared_Kelly7) March 11, 2024

Tom Izzo on Mike Woodson and his job security

“Mind boggling to me that…Mike has won what…18 games? In a conference that is really difficult…Izzo began. “And somebody’s gotta stick up for him coming back next year. I mean, what a joke. Joke. Administrators…what a joke.”

The Hoosiers got their fourth consecutive win on Sunday in their win over MSU. They got a big-time performance from their big man, Kel’el Ware, who stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

The game was tied three times in the final three minutes, but Indiana found a way to pull it out. Ware also drilled the game-winning free throw with 17 seconds left to put the Hoosiers up 65-64, and that would be the final. Tyson Walker missed a shot with four seconds left and Indiana grabbed the rebound to run out the clock.

Indiana finished with three players in double figures. Michigan State also had three players score in double figures. They were led by Tyson Walker, who erupted for 30 points and three assists.

More info on the Hoosiers head basketball coach

Woodson took over for Archie Miller at Indiana in 2021 as his first college head coaching job after a long career as an NBA coach. A former star under the late Bob Knight, Woodson took the Hoosiers to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments as he amassed a 44-26 record in his first two seasons. It’s been up-and-down through 2023-24, though, especially with the rough patch in February.

Woodson addressed his coaching future during his radio show in February, making it clear he didn’t have any plans to leave his alma mater after just three years as head coach.

“I came back to try and put this team in the best position possible,” Woodson said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Zach Osterman, “and I’m going to continue to do that. I mean, I’m almost 66, but I feel good and still move around, and I think I still think well in terms of the game, and I still think I can teach the game.

“I don’t know. There are coaches that are coaching into their 70s I don’t know if that’s something I’ll do. I don’t know. But at this point I’ll take it a day at a time, a year at a time. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, guys. I’m just not.”

Returning to Indiana was Mike Woodson’s first-ever college coaching opportunity. He started his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks before stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. He then served as the Atlanta Hawks’ head coach from 2005-10, and after a year as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, took over as the headman from 2012-14.

In the NBA, Woodson totaled a 315-365 record as a head coach while making five playoff appearances – three with Atlanta and two with New York.

After four years with the Los Angeles Clippers and a return to New York, Indiana hired Woodson as head coach to replace Miller. The Hoosiers hadn’t made it to March Madness since 2016 prior to Woodson’s arrival in Bloomington.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.