Tom Izzo

[broncosmitty]

Right now Beilein is the best coach in the Big10.

He's an exceptional coach. He gets his kids to get the most out of each other. It's fun to watch every year. Seeing Simpson grow as a leader is a great example this year. Very impressive.


I can't put him above Izzo though.


Even though JB's style has sort of taken over basketball, at multiple levels the last few years. He must love being in the college game, because NBA teams should be in line for his services.

 

[Edonidd]

I can see why people are upset. This most recent one, with not only the yelling, but shoving a finger in his face. And I remember another similar issue with I think Denzel Valentine, where he grabbed him by the front of his Jersey like comic book style and pulled him in so he could yell right in his face. I dont care who you are, you do either of those to me and we're fighting. Coach or boss included. I also get the Bobby Knight reference, because he did similar crap, and once the mystique kind of wore off, we heard all about that from a bunch of former players. That's the one thing that gives Izzo the benefit of the doubt. Every single former player loves him. I'm sure when the Valentine thing happened, and I'm sure this am, some fame hungry journalist researched every disgruntled player who ever transferred out of MSU, every one and done, or short time MSU player, every player who they could find who wasn't already on the record praising Izzo. Because a story that brought down Izzo would make a career, like the guy who brought down Bobby Knight. You'd sell a million copies of your book, they'd make an ESPN 30for30, or whatever they're called, episode.

Trouble is, that story doesnt exist. No former player has ever complained about Izzo bullying them or abusing them. In fact most say (including guys who transferred into or out of the program) that Izzo is more involved with his players and knows them on a personal level better than any other coaches. He doesn't just grab a guy by his collar and shove a finger in his face. I've seen him sit a player on a bench and just ignore him or look at him and shake his head (I'm not mad I'm disappointed), I've seen him pleading and begging guys, I've seen him yelling right in their face. But it seems like he gets to know his guys well enough to know which tactic works for that specific player. You gotta respect him for that.

But every time he does it I cringe. Partially because I personally don't like it, but also because I do respect Izzo as a coach, and as a guy in this day and age who gets to know his players. But I just cringe, because IMO it's almost guaranteed that one day he'll go a step too far, or a player will be fine with what he does, but their parent(s) will have a problem with it or something. And all of sudden he goes from Bob Knight the Legend, one of the top guys to ever coach the game. The next he's Bob Knight, the asshole bully whose only legacy is throwing a chair and abusing his players. I don't want that to happen to Izzo, and I don't think they're really that similar. But i also don't think it's out of the question.