Michigan State basketball coach will stay put
Michigan State head men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo announced Tuesday he remain with the Spartans, turning down an offer from the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
His decision means he also turned down the chance to make $6 million a year, double his current salary, and maybe coach LeBron James.
“I started feeling like I wanted to be a ‘Coach K,’ or a Jim Boeheim, or a Bo Schembechler, or a Joe Paterno, or even a [Tom] Osborne,” Izzo said at a news conference Tuesday night. “Guys who kind of stood the test of time. Guys who were tempted by different things but decided their heart was where it is.”
This wasn’t the first time Izzo was courted by a professional team — the Atlanta Hawks pursued him after he won a national championship with Michigan State in 2000, but they too, were unsuccessful.
The Associated Press said Izzo admitted not having the chance to talk to James affected his decision but said that “was not the only factor.”
“I said all along, ‘What’s the best part of the job? What keeps you here?’ ” Izzo said. “I would say the guys that come back.”
Izzo led Michigan State to its sixth Final Four in the last 12 years this past season. Every four-year player who has played for the Spartans during Izzo’s tenure as head coach has gone to at least one Final Four.
He is entering his 16 season as the Spartans’ head coach.
James will become a free agent July 1.
— by Jordan Garretson
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