MSU officials, former player weigh in on Izzo, Cavs
Cavaliers confirm contact with Izzo's camp
Men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo speaks during a press conference March 19 after the victory against New Mexico State University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
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MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo has been contacted by the Cleveland Cavaliers regarding the organization’s head coach vacancy, newly introduced Cleveland general manager Chris Grant said at a press conference Tuesday.
“We have had conversations with (Izzo’s) camp,” Grant said. “We’re not going to go into specifics about those conversations.”
Grant’s announcement came one day after MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis confirmed Cleveland was interested in Izzo.
Reports by the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Tuesday said the Cavaliers have informally offered Izzo a 5-year contract potentially worth $30 million or more, and includes the use of owner Dan Gilbert’s private jets.
Grant said the Cavaliers are looking for a coach who is “a winner” and is defensive-minded.
Hollis told the Lansing State Journal on Monday, “I’m doing everything in my power and the university is doing everything in its power to keep him here.”
Multiple messages left with Hollis Monday and Tuesday were not returned.
Members of the MSU Board of Trustees, who approve Izzo’s contract, hope the coach’s ties with East Lansing will be enough for him to stay.
“Coach Izzo is well aware of the fact how much is he loved and appreciated for the job he has done,” said Trustee Donald Nugent, chair of the board’s compensation committee. “His whole family is such a positive contribution to the community. He has to think what’s best for he and his family. I certainly hope that he’ll continue to be our coach. They’re a great family.”
Although university officials said they want to see Izzo remain as MSU’s head coach, they also said the university can’t afford to get in a bidding war with Cavaliers owner and MSU alumnus Dan Gilbert.
“Certainly as a university, we’re not in a position to be competitive from a salary standpoint with professional basketball,” Trustee Melanie Foster said.
Foster said NBA teams have come calling to Izzo before with big contracts, but were unsuccessful in recruiting him.
“If it was about the money, Tom Izzo would have been gone several years ago — probably back when Atlanta was courting him, and that was 10 years ago,” Foster said.
Ten years ago, then-senior guard Charlie Bell and the rest of the Spartans were unsure whether Izzo would return after winning a national championship in 2000, when he was offered a lucrative contract from the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s a tough situation because most of the time when you go to a university, you go for the teammates, you go for the campus and the campus life and all those different things,” Bell said. “But one of the main things you go for is the coach. I’m sure guys would be upset if he left, but at the end of the day, you have coaches that have guys that go to college for one year and turn pro.
“Everyone’s gotta do what’s best for them and whatever Coach does, he does, but he’ll always be a great friend to me and a great friend to the program.”
Izzo and Bell talk occasionally and last saw each other four weeks ago when Bell was coming home from Milwaukee. Bell said Izzo never has talked to him about the NBA.
“We’ll start conversations about recruits coming and the players there right now, and he kind of vents his frustration with me,” Bell said “The NBA though, he hasn’t talked about. It’s one of those things that keeps coming up year in and year out about going to different NBA teams.”
Bell said he has been thinking about calling Izzo, but said he would see what happens because Izzo has a lot of people in his ear.
Bell was unsure what Izzo would decide, but did say it would be difficult for Izzo to leave his roots in East Lansing.
“I think Coach Izzo is very loyal to Michigan State,” Bell said. “He bleeds green — probably literally.”
Commentary
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KM
(06/08/10 10:20pm)Report
Coach, Please stay!!!
PD
(06/08/10 10:38pm)Report
Coach Izzo, do what makes you happy!
Pink
(06/08/10 11:26pm)Report
When will Hollis, or anyone, step up and come out with the biggest payday in NCAA bball history??? Are they gonna wait for Izzo to leave? This is such bs. Losing Tom Izzo would be the biggest blow this university has ever taken. It will crush us. He is MSU. He is the state of Michigan. They better pull out everything they have to try and get him to stay.
Izzo is God.
NO
(06/09/10 12:21am)Report
Don’t go Izzo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cavs
(06/09/10 12:38am)Report
MSU better start calling Tom Crean from Indiana.
Spartygirl
(06/09/10 1:07am)Report
Izzo better not leave- Everyone at MSU loves him- it would be such a let down to MSU and the whole state of Michigan- first Stevie y now maybe izzo? say it ain’t so tom—- please come out and squash that rumor — Lebron and a bigger payday isn’t as important as the role you play at MSU- the fans and students love you at MSU
Lyle
(06/09/10 7:53am)Report
Get a life, Pink.
If Izzo leaves, maybe some sanity can return to the pay scale.
NO ONE is worth this kind of money, and MSU should not be supporting this idiotic spiral.
@ Pink
(06/09/10 9:08am)Report
Trust me, if he leaves it isn’t because of Hollis. You can rest all the blame on LAKS. If he leaves, just watch, a lot more will come out about the less than friendly relationship between LAKS and the entire athletic department.
SpotSpeaker
(06/09/10 9:52am)Report
The article says Cav’s owner is an MSU Alum. Why would he want to screw his University for profit? Where’s your respect for MSU, Mr. Gilbert?
And to Mr. Izzo, I hope you do what’s right for you. I expect you’ll talk with other coaches who left great college jobs (like the one you created at MSU) for the NBA, only to yearn to come back to college. I’m thinking Rick Pitino, but there are others.
PD
(06/09/10 10:08am)Report
^Billy Donovan.
Emily
(06/09/10 10:38am)Report
If someone has a jet to donate to MSU, I’ll donate the pilot.
Sparty86
(06/09/10 10:42am)Report
MSU will still be excellent in b-ball, even if they let Izzo get away.
MSU lost Saban and what has he done, since he left?
Oh, oops.
Walt1984
(06/09/10 10:54am)Report
If it is the case that an administrator is ultimately responsible for Coach Izzo leaving that person should be removed. Coach Izzo epitomizes MSU and the people of Michigan. He is humble. He is hard working. He is a good man. We really need him here. He is our leader. So, if he wants to stay but some one in the admin. Doesn’t appreciate what he means to all of us, fans, students, alumni, citizens, that person should be replaced. It is not about politics, we need him here.
Just the Facts
(06/09/10 11:05am)Report
SpotSpeaker:
Dan Gilbert should not even be allowed in the same room with Tom Izzo. Izzo has morals and ethics. Gilbert punches referees while coaching his kid’s basketball game.(this is not a baseless accusation but a fact)
Then he gets in another fight at a child’s bar mitzvah. (again- a fact)
What a wonderful human being.
SpartanMan
(06/09/10 11:11am)Report
Very few achieve success by jumping from the college ranks into the pros. Tom please stay put and don’t let the bright lights blind you, money has never ever bought happiness.
TM1986
(06/09/10 12:35pm)Report
Please stay at MSU – very few in sports have your morals, skills, passion and spirit. My son proudly wears t-shirts with IZZONE printed all over them. We both look up to you! Michigan State’s future athletes, fans and residents need you now more than ever.
Calvin Chu (alumnus from Hong Kong)
(06/09/10 12:53pm)Report
Coach, pls stay. We still want to witness MSU to win the 2011 championship with you!
Jason
(06/09/10 1:26pm)Report
If this goes down, Dan Gilbert will become the most hated Alumni in school history.
Lifelong MSU fan
(06/09/10 2:13pm)Report
Tom Izzo is like the Atticus Finch of college basketball these days. He’s loveable, honest, talented, genuine, and quite frankly the only coach I will ever want for my Spartan Basketball Team. He is MSU. He is college basketball. To see him in the NBA is like watching Michael Jordan in the Wizards uniform, just plain wrong.
Now I know MSU will do anything in their power to keep him here…to not do so would be idiotic, and despite what our Little Sister down the road might think, we are far from idiotic. However, I want to propose something that perhaps the admins and directors haven’t thought of: name the floor at the Breslin, Coach Izzo Court…similar to what Coach K has. I think it would show our passion, loyalty, and love for our Coach: Tom Izzo. I hope you don’t leave Coach, we love you here.
deckape
(06/09/10 3:01pm)Report
Someone (@Pink) needs to get their facts straight. President Simon is one of the reasons the athletic department is running smoothly now. There is a very good working relationship. You want to see a President not understand athletics? See her predecessor, Peter McPherson – a primary reason for the departure of Saban. Simon also helped clean up the mess that Ron Mason made with John L Smith. That Mason was ever hired as AD was a joke – and he was not hired by Simon.
Nate
(06/09/10 3:36pm)Report
coach izzo is going to clevland with lebron both will be announced on july 1st thanks coach izzo you’ve been great and good luck
Brad Gardner
(06/09/10 3:42pm)Report
One of the remarkable things about possibly losing Coach Izzo is this: I get the sense that fans are genuinely as concerned (if not moreso) about losing Tom Izzo the person and his family as we are about losing a legendary basketball coach and perhaps dropping down several notches on the national college basketball scene. Rare indeed. The fact is that Coach Izzo created an identity for MSU that speaks exceedingly well for the university and the entire state. That’s a void that cannot be replaced no matter how many games our Spartans win without him.
Leonidas
(06/10/10 12:18am)Report
Everyone is directing their comments to the wrong person. Who is at fault here? If Izzo leaves, its because he had nothing offered to him by Hollis and MSU. He is worth more than what he is getting paid, and he is getting the biggest offer ever. So what is Hollis doing to keep him from leaving? NOTHING. NADA. Telling him about some bs consultant job after retirement. This is on MSU, and the AD, not Izzo. If Izzo leaves, the anger and the blame lies with MSU and the AD, MARK HOLLIS. Remember that name. That man might be the cause of the biggest disaster in the history of MSU. PAY HIM!
Bigfella
(06/10/10 5:22pm)Report
If Izzo leaves why is anyone to blame? How about he’s simply excercise his own free will to do what he feels is right. Why do we always have to place on someone. I’m quite sure the powers that be at MSU know full well just how important coach is the the university. That said, ultmately the choice isn’t theirs so how can anyone blame them?
Stewart Keskitalo
(06/12/10 7:36pm)Report
Dear Tom Izzo and Family:
I know in your heart that you still belong to the UP. So do I.
I will relate a story about me that relates to you. As a freshman in 1966 I was a prevet srudent at MSU. Naive as all get out. and cheap to the bone to save money. I hitchhiked home after the fall semester. I learned not to use the UP as a sign of where I was going in the Lower Peninsula. How far is up? But when you crossed that bridge everything changed. The people changed. I remember a carfull of high school basketball coaches passed me as I had my thumb out in Christmas Mi. The waves of Lake Superior were crashing about and the snow was falling faster. But then the car backed up.“Did you play high school basketball?” “Yes I did.” and “Who was your coach” “ I replied Harvey Filpulla” The coaches gave me a ride. That is just how all coaches are in the UP. Even big names like IZZO” Whatever your decision Tom you are still a yooper” God Bless you and your extended family.