MSU's Tom Izzo on How His Emotions are Perceived

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo is often ridiculed for his on-court temper.

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo takes a lot of heat for the anger he displays in games, but there's more to the story than what is seen from the outside.

As extreme as the public may view his on-court outbursts, Izzo believes his players would have different thoughts on the matter.

"I'm an Italian guy that I wear my emotions on my sleeve," Izzo said on a recent episode of the "Pardon My Take" podcast. "And if you looked at some of the antics on TV, it's just emotion, and I don't always do it on purpose, but I can see where someone would think I was angry. [If] you talk to most of my guys, the time I spend with them, how much I care about them, I think I would be a double teddy bear.

"But what I think the big key is nowadays that we're really all having trouble with is: How do you be demanding and tough enough to hold people accountable and yet caring and understanding enough to let them know that you care? Because nobody cares about how much you know until they know what you care kind of theory. And I think the only way you do that is spend time.

"So, part of me doesn't care what most people outside think. What I care about is the reunions that we have -- does everybody come back? Does everybody call in in March? Do all those things happen? If those things are happening, I think I've done it right.

"But I can see where people -- and people take things wrong. I mean, the guy makes the same mistake seven times, what am I going to [say]? 'Hey, Johnny, would you please do it right this time?'

"You wouldn't do that with your own kids. And sometimes, I get accused of that, but I know this: I love my guys, I spend a lot of time with them, they've done a lot for me, and I'm probably deserving of being angry sometimes."

You can watch Izzo's full interview on "Pardon My Take" here.

For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics:

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @SpartanNationPodcast
• Follow us on Facebook: @SpartanNation
• Follow us on X: @champion_aidan | @mlounsberry_SI | @a3danm | @michaelfrancesi