Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is as successful as they come in the college basketball ranks. Unfortunately for Izzo and the Spartans, they ran into one of the few coaches in the country hotter than Izzo in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
That, of course, being UConn and maestro Dan Hurley. And in a conversation with Dan Patrick about Hurley being courted by the Los Angeles Lakers a few years back, Izzo revealed something interesting. He was in line to potentially get the Phoenix Suns job last year.
The conversation began about Hurley and his opportunity. Izzo opened up.
“I didn’t want to lose him in college basketball, because I think he’s so good for it,” Tom Izzo said on the air. “But I did say we’ve got to keep an eye on what’s happening in our profession, too. I don’t know what I’d do if it was today.
“He had a chance about a year or two ago, and I think things are so crazy in college athletics right now I don’t know if I’d feel different if I was to be very honest with you, because I think something has to be done with the insanity we’re going through. But I don’t think anybody else cares, so I’ll just keep plugging along and see if I can get to a Final Four again.”
OK, OK, innocent enough. So where does the part about the Phoenix job offer come in? Patrick asked about Izzo’s own opportunities to entertain the NBA years back.
He was surprised to learn that Tom Izzo has had chances to jump to the league much more recently than he had imagined. Izzo revealed the interest from the Suns.
“I’ve had more than a couple job offers in the NBA,” Izzo said. “And looked at one last year with Phoenix, you know. My former player, Mat Ishbia. That was hard, that was a hard thing to turn down, because No. 1 I kind of wanted to go with him.”
Patrick interrupted and sought immediate clarification. He asked if the Suns had offered Tom Izzo the head coaching job.
“Well, we talked seriously about it, let’s say that,” Izzo said. Then he revealed the other reason he would have seriously considered the gig.
“Then No. 2 is I’ve been pretty vocal about it: I don’t like what’s going on in college athletics,” Izzo said. “But by the way, neither do 99.8% of the football and basketball coaches in America. And I think the kids are going to still find out before it’s done it’s not best for them either.
“But in the meantime you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and I’ll let guys like you call me old school. But that means you’re old school, too. But I think we’re both right school, so we’ll see what happens.”