Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, 71, firmly rejected retirement speculation after his team's Sweet 16 tournament loss. The veteran coach says he plans to keep pursuing another national championship despite three decades on the job.
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo isn’t entertaining thoughts of stepping away from coaching, even at age 71 and after three decades leading the Spartans program.
Following his team’s Sweet 16 defeat against UConn on Friday, reporters questioned where the veteran coach envisions himself five years from now.
“Trying to win a national championship — plain and simple,” Izzo responded, referencing his 2000 championship victory with Michigan State.
The Spartans concluded their season with a 27-8 record after the 67-63 defeat in Washington, D.C., bringing Izzo’s overall coaching record to 764-310 (.711) since he assumed control of the East Lansing program during the 1995-96 season. Under his leadership, the team has qualified for 28 NCAA Tournaments and advanced to eight Final Four appearances.
The accomplished coach, who earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors four times and national Coach of the Year recognition twice, received induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. Despite checking off virtually every milestone a coach could achieve, Izzo emphasized he’s far from ready to step aside.
“We all talk about retirement,” Izzo explained. “Why? What the hell am I going to do? The minute I don’t feel good, the minute I don’t feel like I’m giving my AD or president or school every ounce of energy I have every day or that energy drops, you don’t have to worry about it. I don’t steal money. I won’t steal anybody’s time. But it’s sure as hell not going to be now.”
“I’ve got some things to accomplish.”
Looking ahead to next season, Izzo anticipates seven or eight current players will return, complemented by an incoming freshman class. He also addressed the transfer portal situation.
“The only difference is the portal at Michigan State is different than the portal at most places,” he noted. “I’m going right to my frickin’ locker room, and I’m going to talk to each and every player right there. I’m going to make some decisions about what we’re going to do that I feel very comfortable with.”
Despite missing out on their first Final Four appearance since 2019, Izzo maintained an optimistic perspective.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I’m just not lucky enough to be playing on Sunday,” Izzo concluded. “I’ll get to play on another Sunday. Hang around.”