Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Tom Izzo sets future coaching plans entering March Madness

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Tom Izzo has been around for seemingly forever, and the Michigan State coaching icon has a clear vision about when he plans to not be around anymore in East Lansing.

The 70-year-old has been the Spartans head coach since 1995, and he was an assistant at Michigan State from 1983 up until getting the head coaching job. That’s a lot of miles in 1 place, and he brought a national championship to East Lansing in 2000 and has taken Spartans fans on many deep NCAA Tournament rides.

There have been 8 trips to the Final Four under Izzo, and it’s probably felt like more than that to many. This season could provide the stage for another deep run after Izzo led Michigan State to the regular-season Big Ten title.

The Spartans are the No. 2 seed in the South Region, and they’ll try to kick-start their NCAA Tournament run on Friday night in Cleveland against 15th-seeded Bryant.

So, what about that pending retirement, Coach Izzo? The living coaching legend appeared on Kay Adams’s podcast Up & Adams to talk about his future plans. Izzo made it crystal clear that when he does step away from the coaching world, it’s going to be because he wants to leave, not because he finally won that elusive second national title.

“I don’t believe you have to retire on a high note,” Izzo told Adams.

Izzo also said that if he does get that second national title, he might just stick around and go for a repeat.

“Let’s go!” said Izzo.

Cory Nightingale