How Many Final Four Appearances Does Tom Izzo Have?
The 2019 NCAA tournament is entering its last weekend as the narrowed field will compete in the Final Four on Saturday.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo returns for his eighth Final Four appearance during his illustrious career with the Spartans. Izzo has served as Michigan State's head coach since 1995 and has a 606–231 career record.
He reached the Final Four for three consecutive seasons from 1999-2001 during the first six years of his head coaching career. The Spartans won the national championship in 2000 with an 89–76 victory over Florida. Senior guard Mateen Cleaves rolled his right ankle in the second half and finished the game limping around the court to help Michigan State win their first title since 1979.
Izzo later returned to the Final Four in 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2015. This year, Michigan State won a share of the Big Ten regular season title and then the conference championship to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Spartans went on to pull out a nail biting 68–67 win over Duke last weekend with Kenny Goins's late three-pointer to advance to the Final Four. Cassius Winston led the team with 20 points and ten assists in the game, while Xavier Tillman added 19 points and nine rebounds.
