Izzo Wants to Continue to Make MSU a Place Worth Staying For
In this story:
Every player has their reason for entering the transfer portal.
Regardless of what it is, they all have intentions of putting themselves in a better position.
For Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, there's never been a better position.
"This is my dream job," Izzo said as he wrapped up what was over an hour-long press conference last week, primarily focused on his grievances with today's transfer portal. "I never left it. I had many chances. ... I like where I'm at."
Izzo pointed to "the adults," the decision-makers, those with a say in where we are today as far as the system that's been structured around the student-athlete. He empathized with the players, who have been given the opportunity to pursue what they believe are greener pastures at a young age.
But in Tom Izzo's eyes, there's no greener pasture (no pun intended) than the place he's at. And he believes that place does a lot of good for the athletes that come through it.
"Everybody's worried about their brand," Izzo said. "I mean, that is a big thing now: 'My brand.' It's all I hear about is 'my brand.' Let me tell you something. This is a damn good brand, that's been tested over time. It's a damn good brand. And some that have left the brand -- not the team, not the program, the brand -- have come back.
"And maybe it's taken five years, maybe it's taken 10 years. Why did they come back? I love the brand. I never left here because of the brand. I think it can help a lot of people be successful.
"If there's a better brand that can help them, if there's a better coach that's going to spend more time with them, do a better job with them, get them more minutes or jump shots or touchdown passes or whatever, you got to do what you got to do.
"But just remember, this is a competitive world, and if you're not quite good enough here to maybe get some of those things, how about rolling up your sleeves and going to work? Because you're going to have to do that wherever you go if you're going to accomplish your ultimate goal. And that's kind of the way I look at it."
As if the culture Izzo has built at Michigan State hasn't been appealing enough, he has to compete with the transfer portal. He feels he and his staff need to take it to another level.
"I'm going to find a way to work harder, harder," Izzo said. "I told my staff, Hang on to your you know what because we're going to work harder, because we're going to make sure that more and more kids we make successful because this brand is going to be worth something to them and the years to come, and that's what I plan on doing."
Follow along with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our vibrant community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
