Izzo Unaltered By Money And Success
3/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 28, 2001
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - As Tom Izzo settled into his latest Lexus, he ran a hand across the leather interior and gazed at gadgets like he was 16 and it was his first car.
When the Michigan State coach eats London broil, he figures why use a knife and fork when you can make a sandwich.
He could afford to build a huge home last year, but he chooses to remove snow from his sidewalks himself rather than pay somebody else to do it.
That's Izzo.
Money, success and fame have brought him spoils, but he refuses to be spoiled.
Although the 46-year-old Izzo has millions in the bank, fingers filled with championship rings and a cult-like following in Michigan, he appears to be the same humble, hard-working guy that he always has been.
Lupe Izzo, his wife, said that is by design.
"I think he goes out of his way not to change," she said. "He always has said that he doesn't want to 'big-time,' anybody. Tom's friends from elementary school get treated the same way that he treats the governor or Muhammad Ali. That's how he's always been and I don't think he'll ever change."
Izzo said it's easy to keep his ego in check and his personality in place.
"Why should I change," he asked. "What have I done?"
Well, quite a bit since succeeding Jud Heathcote, who retired in 1995.
With this year's trip to the Final Four, Michigan State joins Duke and Kentucky as the only programs that have made it to the national semifinals in three consecutive seasons, since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
The defending national champions are attempting to be first team to repeat since Duke did it in 1992 and just the second program to do it since UCLA's run from 1967-73. Michigan State would have to beat Arizona on Saturday and either Duke or Maryland on Monday to pull off the feat.
The Spartans became the first Big Ten team in 25 years to win four straight conference championships and have set the Big Ten's four-year record with 115 wins.
Even before this season, Izzo had done enough for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks to offer him $15 million to be their coach. He declined because he wanted to build a dynasty at Michigan State, where he makes $1.1 million and is universally adored.
While Izzo would rather choke on a trumpet than toot his own horn, his colleagues are impressed with his success and method of attaining it.
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski said, "I'm happy for him because he's one of the good guys in coaching."
Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who led Kentucky to three Final Fours and a national title over a five-year span, said what Izzo has done is remarkable.
"One of the toughest things to do is to stay hungry and not embrace your success," Pitino said. "You have to stay PHD: poor, hungry and driven. Tom Izzo has obviously done that."
Izzo still recruits, breaks down film and prepares for practices and games with the vigor of an assistant coach trying to keep his job.
He believes that as quickly as he built Michigan State's program from solid to spectacular, it could crumble.
"I fear this thing slipping, because it happens," Izzo said. "I think if you take any time off, it can slip and slip fast."
Izzo is one part father and one part big brother to his players.
He will not hesitate to scream and point his index finger at one them on national television, but he will also put an arm around a player for heart-to-heart chats in private.
"He cares about us," said Andre Hutson, one of five seniors on the squad. "He cares enough about us as players to get on us when we mess up and he also cares enough about us as people to talk about life."
Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Snow, who was a senior at Michigan State during the last of Izzo's 12 years as an assistant, still talks with Izzo almost weekly about on- and off-the-court issues.
"He's definitely the same guy that I met when I was still in high school," Snow said. "He's grounded and levelheaded because he knows how hard he worked to get where he is. He hasn't changed and I don't see him ever changing."
