Michigan State's Izzo not about to talk retirement: 'Why? What the hell am I going to do?'
It was well past midnight on Saturday morning after Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans came up short in the Sweet 16, when the 71-year-old coach was asked where he sees himself in five years. “Trying to win a national championship — plain and simple,” he said. Izzo has guided Michigan State to eight Final Fours and captured the Big Ten’s most recent national title in men's basketball in 2000.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was well past midnight on Saturday morning after Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans came up short in the Sweet 16 , when the 71-year-old coach was asked where he sees himself in five years. “Trying to win a national championship — plain and simple,” he said. Izzo has guided Michigan State to eight Final Fours and captured the Big Ten’s most recent national title in men's basketball in 2000.
He wouldn’t take much heat if he decided he wanted to get out of the game like so many of his peers have — in a new day and age dominated by the transfer portal and name, image and likeness. Instead, it sounds like he's not even considering such a scenario. “We all talk about retirement,” Izzo said after the Spartans lost 67-63 to UConn.
“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. ” Izzo hasn't been to the Final Four since 2019 — the longest drought of his career.