EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tom Izzo has declined numerous opportunities to coach in the NBA, including with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
In 2024, when the Los Angeles Lakers were prepared to present UConn coach Dan Hurley with a six-year, $70 million agreement, Hurley sought counsel from Izzo.
“I advised him to seriously consider it, as I perceived the trajectory of college basketball,” Izzo informed The Associated Press on Monday. “However, I stated I would detest losing him, as I believe he embodies all that is commendable in college basketball. He shows concern for the student-athletes. He is devoted to the sport. His devotion to the game is imperative due to his father.”
At St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bob Hurley Sr. secured over two dozen state championships, cultivating numerous Division I college players.
On Friday night in Washington, Izzo’s third-seeded Michigan State squad is set to confront Hurley and the second-seeded Huskies in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.
Hurley, aged 53 and currently in his eighth campaign at UConn, claimed successive national championships in 2023-24. He boasts a record of 17-5 in the NCAA tournament, securing victory in 77.3% of contests, which places him first among active coaches and fourth historically among those with a minimum of 15 games.
Izzo, aged 71, has secured an unparalleled 28 successive invitations to March Madness and claimed an NCAA championship in 2000 — the most recent by a Big Ten squad — during one of his eight Final Four appearances throughout his illustrious Hall of Fame career.