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Tom Izzo shares what he’s witnessed from Mel Tucker’s second season in East Lansing
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Tom Izzo has been there before. The Michigan State basketball coach has an idea of what Spartans football coach Mel Tucker is going through, and Izzo recalled the days that Nick Saban spent in East Lansing.
Izzo can sense the differences at Tucker's practices this season from last. Remembers his own second year, also Nick Saban's second year at MSU, saying "and we were both swimming upstream at that time."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 28, 2021
Tucker and the Spartans are putting their unbeaten record on the line this weekend. They welcome fellow unbeaten, and in-state rival No. 6 Michigan to Spartan Stadium on Saturday.
The battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy is the focus for the week for Tucker. But distractions have been aplenty thanks to the shake-up in Baton Rouge at the top of the LSU football tree.
When Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron announced he would not be returning to the head coaching job at LSU next season, rumors of potential replacements have peppered news reports and social media. Pretty much all mentioning Tucker as a potential candidate.
Continually shrugging off the chatter, at Monday’s press conference Tucker said, “my focus is on the upcoming game versus the school down the road. That’s where my concentration (and) all my focus is.”
Having a resource like Izzo so nearby is something from which Tucker can benefit. Izzo has successfully deflected multiple overtures from NBA teams over the years.
So he’s been there, done that.
Scott Schultz covers Michigan State Football, along with Breaking News for B1G Football & Basketball for Saturday Tradition. He also serves as an Automotive News Editor & Writer, and Softball Writer elsewhere on the web. Follow him on Twitter @SRSchultz.