Michigan State coach Tom Izzo crosses the court after scoring his 700th career NCAA college basketball game against Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Gordis)
ESCANABA — Iron Mountain High School and Northern Michigan University graduate Tom Izzo is well known in the basketball world.
During his nearly 30-year tenure as the head coach of the Michigan State University men’s basketball program, Izzo won 707 games and went on to win 10 Big Ten regular season championships, eight Big Ten tournament championships and eight Final Four appearances. 1 time, 2000 National Championship, and 3 Big Ten Coaches. A player of the year and a 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Izzo’s resume is unmatched. Ask anyone in Michigan to list the 12 months of the year, and they’ll probably say January, February and Izzo.
Now, Izzo is returning to the NMU campus where he began his post-high school career. His No. 10 jersey will be retired as his Spartans and Wildcats collide inside NMU’s Superior Dome at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Looking for tickets? Good luck, this exhibition showdown is already sold out. In fact, those who have already purchased tickets are being urged to carpool as parking is limited.
This is the long-awaited return of the Upper Peninsula’s favorite son, a member of the 1997 class of the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.
But what does this weekend mean for a man who achieved what almost every aspiring basketball coach dreams of at this moment?
Daily Press Sports Editor “Big dog” Mitch Vosburg spoke to Izzo three days before the Wildcats’ game against the Spartans about the game, what the weekend meant and more.
Big Dog: First of all, how are you doing today?
Tom Izzo: That’s great. I’m looking forward to the weekend.
BD: What is the excitement level to bring the team back here and why was this season the right time to come back here?
Izzo: Well, I’ve been trying to do something for the last couple of years, and with Brad Canale and some of the people there and (athletic director) Rick Conley and the people here. As a result of the discussion, everyone came together. And I really wanted to play in the (Superior) Dome. I didn’t want to only play in small arenas. If I come there, I want people to see us and I want Northern to get something out of this. When the Big Ten Network comes on, Bill Raftery runs the game. It’s going to be a happening, and I think that’s great for the North, great for Michigan State, and great for UP.
BD: Not only that, but your number 10 will also be retired. When you were playing at NMU, did you ever think your jersey number would be retired?
Izzo: No, I never thought of that. looking forward to it. The numbers are obsolete for what they normally do there. In my case, I think I retired because of what I did there and a lot of things that followed. I’m just grateful for the opportunity. That would be great.
BD: Not only is that what’s going on, but you’re going to be benching Gordie Dellac. What is the biggest thing you learned from Gordy?
Izzo: He was great. I only had him as my coach for one year, but he made a huge impact and stayed with me for many years. He played in many matches. He was always there. I talked to him a lot on the phone. It wasn’t just (Steve) Mariucci’s year. Over the next few years, he kept in touch. I am very grateful.
BD: Head coach of Ishpeming Hematite, tell us about your first coaching job out of college. What did you learn about yourself as a coach while there?
Izzo: Oh, that was an interesting time. I thought it was a really great opportunity. We won a lot of games and won the conference championship, but we lost to our old high school, Iron Mountain, in the regional tournament. It was a little bittersweet.
BD: You eventually made your way to MSU, where you had the opportunity to learn from Judd Heathcote. His resume also speaks for itself. What is the one memory you have with Judd that you wouldn’t want to let go of?
Izzo: You know, it’s interesting to talk to you or anyone in the media. He always told me to treat the media with care, because just like I have a job to do, the media has a job to do. I always got along well with the media because I stayed true to what he said. Whether things were tough or not, he always told me that they need to understand that they have a boss, they have people, they have a family to support, and they have a job to do. I’ve stuck with it. That was helpful.
BD: You ended up taking over from Judd. What were the conversations like between him, who was about to retire, and you, who was running the program, during that period?
Izzo: He was great. Actually, I started the job a year ago. I was waiting like a coach. He really helped me grow and learn, so when I got the job, I at least kept on my feet. I learned a lot over the next three or four years, and he did a lot for me. I had great mentors in George Perls and Buck Nystrom at Marquette. It was good. I was lucky. I was lucky. That’s one of the reasons I keep coming back. There were a lot of people in UP who helped me. I want to give back to them in some small way.
BD: I think a lot of fans remember the 2000 National Championship run. But other than winning the national championship against a really good Florida team, what do you remember most about that run in March?
Izzo: Well, I think what I remember most was playing the second round game in Detroit. We played Syracuse and Iowa State. A lot of people thought Michigan State vs. Iowa State was the national championship game, but this was Detroit. I think there were maybe 20,000 Michigan State fans in the arena with 22,000 fans. It’s like we’ve taken over the country. It was fun.
BD: Tom, you’ve accomplished a lot in your career. I think a lot of people who want to be a basketball coach definitely look at your resume and think that’s the goal. But with all that we have achieved, what else do we want to achieve?
Izzo: Of course, I always want to win another national championship. But my main goal right now…I always said I had to live the dream as (Steve) Mariucci, and I joined Northern and we talked about what we wanted to be. . It was a dream that we wanted to achieve and I think we had the opportunity to realize the dream that we wanted to achieve. I think I got a chance to realize my dream. My job now is to help all other people, including the people of UP, live their lives in their own way. I hope there are a lot of young kids who come to this game and dream of getting somewhere like I did.
BD: Last question. I’ve been here at UP for a little over a year and learned this phrase “above” force. When you ask people what it means, you always get different definitions. So I also ask you. What does the term UP Power mean to you?
Izzo: I think it means we all come together. Once it goes down, “power up” The stuff is really there. Everyone pulls for each other there, even if they are rivals. If a rival succeeds “power up” This means it’s a whole UP force where everyone here has their own school. If Iron Mountain is there, if Kingsford is there, if Escanaba is there, if Marquette is there. “power up” It means everyone is pulling them.
