Tom Izzo Reveals When He'll Know It's Time For Him To Retire
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
At 65 years of age, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is the oldest head coach in Big Ten basketball.
But after a third straight year with a piece of the Big Ten regular season title, it's clear that Izzo can still coach better than almost anyone. So does the longtime Spartans head coach have any plans to retire?
In a recent interview with the Big Ten Network, Izzo actually admitted that he's thought about how he'd prefer to go out. He stated that it will likely be "a family decision" and one that may ultimately come down to him losing his desire to keep recruiting.
Izzo also stated that one thing he wants to avoid is staying on for too long. He explained that he's seen too many coaches "hold on" to their jobs and see it get ugly for him to do that.
“Sometimes it’s a family decision. Sometimes, there’s things that happen in these jobs that you just say ‘how much longer you wanna beat your head against the wall?’ And I’m not sure there’s any right time,” Izzo said, per Saturday Tradition. “... For me, when it happens, I will not hold on. I’ve seen too many coaches hold on. The way I look at it, when I lose my desire to recruit all the time…when I get tired of that, it’ll be time for me to go.”
Izzo is already in the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he's been doing everything he can to win more more national title.
He's taken the Spartans to the Final Four twice in the last five NCAA Tournaments alone.
Will Tom Izzo go down as the best head coach in Big Ten Conference history?
