Michigan State's Tom Izzo Reaches 700 Career Wins!
Tom Izzo's legacy and at Michigan State has long been established, but the Hall of Famer continues to add to his legendary career.
On Tuesday, the Spartans used a dominant second half to cruise to an 81-62 victory over in-state rival Michigan, giving Izzo the 700th victory of his 29-year tenure in East Lansing. It was quite the birthday present for MSU's head coach, who turned 69. Izzo becomes the 38th Division I men's basketball coach to accomplish the feat, but just the eighth to reach 700 wins at a single school, and the first Big Ten head coach to do so at a single school.
Multiple former Michigan State players were in attendance to take in Izzo's milestone victory, including national champions Mateen Cleaves and Charlie Bell, who won the 1999-2000 title with Izzo nearly a quarter-decade ago.
"That's what means something to me," Izzo said after the game. "I just told my team, boy, you better learn something from those guys because I'm worried that will disappear."
Reflecting on his career in East Lansing, Izzo brought up the recruiting battle between Michigan State and Michigan for Cleaves, and how that was the spark that ignited his tenure at MSU.
"We all know I wouldn't be here if I didn't that battle and then we didn't win what we won [a national championship]," Izzo said. "In this day and age, you don't stay in one place very long unless you win big. And, you don't win big without good players and good teams and good leaders and good assistant coaches."
Other Division 1 men's basketball head coaches to win 700 games at a single school include Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (1,129), Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (1,015), North Carolina's Dean Smith (879), Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (876), DePaul's Ray Meyer (724), UTEP's Don Haskins (719) and Gonzaga's Mark Few (704). Izzo now joins that exclusive club with a nearly four-decade run at Michigan State that will never be forgotten.
"700 wins is pretty impressive even to me, but 700 wins at the same school, that means a lot to me," Izzo said. "That's probably what means the most to me. We — the players, the assistant coaches I've had, we've won all of ours right here at Michigan State and I am really honored, proud."
In addition to Izzo, there are currently eight other active Division I men's head coaches with at least 700 wins: Kentucky's John Calipari (805), Tennessee's Rick Barnes (794), Kansas' Bill Self (788), Houston's Kelvin Sampson (751), Oregon's Dana Altman (745), Miami's Jim Larranaga (739), St John's Rick Pitino (724) and Few (704).
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