Tom Izzo Delivers Hilarious Quote After Tying Record Held By Bob Knight vs. Oregon

The Michigan State coach equaled college basketball royalty Saturday.
Tom Izzo during No. 7 Michigan State's 73–51 win over Minnesota on Jan. 28, 2025.
Tom Izzo during No. 7 Michigan State's 73–51 win over Minnesota on Jan. 28, 2025. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If you're threatening records held by former Army, Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight, chances are you've been around college basketball for a long time.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been around college basketball for a long time.

Izzo, 70, won his 353rd career Big Ten game 86–74 Saturday against Oregon in East Lansing, Mich. That ties a record held by Knight, who won 353 Big Ten games with the Hoosiers from 1972 to '00.

The Ducks jumped out to a 50–36 halftime lead on the No. 9 Spartans before Michigan State posted a 50-point half of its own—outscoring Oregon 50–24 in the final 20 minutes of action. After the game, Izzo delivered a hilarious quote about the circumstances of his historic win.

"That was not a pretty first half. I don't really give a s--t about the first half," Izzo said. "But I do care about all of you for giving me 30 great years."

Izzo will now take aim at setting the all-time conference record, which he can accomplish Tuesday night against... Indiana.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .