Tom Izzo Speaks. Very Briefly. And We Start Thinking About Potential Successors.

But I would fear for anyone coaching next year’s Spartans not named Tom Izzo. Those are some gigantic shoes you can’t even hope to fill. Carving out your own identity and really taking over the program will probably be a painful process.

..id like to see a run at Mark Few from Gonzaga as well.

Interesting. Lots of IU fans seem to believe that Crean would be likely to take the job. I tend to think it’s unlikely, but not impossible, that he would jump.

http://twitter.com/JimComparoni

Actually, what Izzo said last night upon returning actually makes me feel a bit more optimistic that he’ll stay (and that is not how my feelings had been trending of late): it is a faint glimmer of optimism, mind you. It suggests that he is fully cognizant of the anxiety he is causing Spartan Nation, is aware of how this “looks” to the fan base caught in the ebb and flow of rumor, and that even he is growing somewhat weary of the process (“It’s not going to be forever, that’s for sure”). The more he is thinking about the reaction back in EL, the better our chances of keeping him. Reading “I did what I had to do” as “I owed it to myself, my family, and my friend to explore this offer” might seem charitable, but not out of the realm of possibility: and to feel “good” that you did it suggests that he feels the coming decision—that will not last “forever”—can be fully informed and weighed. Given that he seems intent to NOT show his hand, it would seem unlikely that “I do feel good that I did what I had to do” means he feels that Cleveland is a job offer he cannot refuse.

A willful interpretation, no doubt, but one that coaxes me through the waiting. Like most basketball coaches, Izzo seems like a guy who doesn’t like uncertainty, disorder, chance, etc., and the more we hear about this situation in Cleveland, the more dizzying the permutations (e.g. Lebron’s uncertain free agency; the split between ownership and the “basketball people” about direction; rumors of shipping off Williams and West, etc.); on the other hand, MSU offers a reliable constant (“I appreciate the kids. I always have.”). Okay, that’s the best I can do…..sigh.

…at 4 p.m. according to Hondo

detnewsMSU Also was told MSU officials would be “beyond shocked” if Izzo left. Again, just one person telling me this, so take that for what it’s worth

detnewsMSU MSU basketball sports information director Matt Larson left me a message and said there’s no 4 p.m. press conference scheduled for today.

JimComparoni No press conference at msu for 4pm.

when I argued Izzo would stay. Opportunity he had to explore. Too much uncertainty re: LeBron. Love for MSU ultimately pulls him back.

Tough to stay positive the longer things drag out, but I still think that’s the most likely scenario here.

my saying something original without someone else who’s smarter saying it two seconds ahead of me.

Does Lacy seem to be stooping to our level and speculating on intangibles right now to calm himself? Granted he did talk to meaningful individuals on a real phone call, so he has something to base it on, but still.

I’ll still get impatient waiting for the next one.

He got in late last night, and if he showed up for golf it would be a media spectacle. He may have also cancelled b/c he wants a few more hours to speak with some people today, but this has to be an easy decision. The "right or perfect" opportunity needs to present itself, and without a solid commitment from LeBron, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Izzo is not so sick of recruiting that he needs to go coach a Cavs team without LeBron. LeBron is not even in a position (most likely) to guarantee his return, so you’d think the decision is actually easy for Izzo. Since when is Izzo a "money guy" – he’s from Iron Mountain, he was an All American for Northern, he gets choked up when he talks about the struggles of Metro Detroit and wanting to lift the peoples spirits come tournament time – he’s already wealthy and will retire with more money than he could ever spend wherever he goes. At 55yrs old, he doesn’t need to walk into a pressure cooker, and he is likely not chomping at the bit to uproot his family for his greatest career experiment of all time. Izzo is a humble, honest man, he knows his limitations and he understands that coaching in the NBA can be a short-lived mega grinder to begin with, why would he then want to add "totally uncertain pressure cooker" to that opportunity? If the emotion and speculation of the moment is making you see stars, just give it the old Ben Franklin close to understand the options he’s evaluating: "Pros" – a lot more money, the "chance" to coach LeBron, no more recruiting wars, fairly close to home, work for a Spartan, take on an enormous challenge, satisfy a curiosity. "Cons" – Having to say farewell to MSU and your current team poised for a title run, uprooting your family or spending less time with them or both, still not sure or possibly totally unsure on LeBron, a fan base in Cleveland that wants to win a championship now, long grinder of a season with a ton of travel, it’s Cleveland when you’re "home", giving up a great deal of power and control over operations and personnel, Pitino, Donovan, Calipari all backed out or didn’t cut it, average lifespan of an NBA coach is 3yrs or less, if it doesn’t work out you have likely closed the door on MSU forever and would have to start all over with a new University which is another massive undertaking, you are leaving lifetime money and employment on the table.

It’s a no-brainer, unless it’s a chance to coach one of the most storied franchises in the history of the league, with a cupboard full of signed talent, you simply cannot leave MSU.

JimComparoni clarification: dantonio was scheduled to golf, but is not in town.

First, Izzo skipped golf. Then, he was meeting with MSU officials. Now, he’s apparently not in town at all. Seems to me that Comparoni’s only smoke and mirrors at this point.

He has an amazing gig there. Low-profile setting for his family, a dedicated fanbase, athletic department devoted to the bball team.

Brad Stevens would be an amazing hire for MSU, and I see it as likely if MSU were to reach out.

At the end of the day though, I see Izzo staying.

It’s just a matter of when he will announce it. He needs inform some folks first, face to face – the administration brass and his players, for sure. My reading of the tea leaves is that he is staying. He explored, brought his family, and now has a much clearer picture of what a move to the NBA would mean to him and his family. Lots of time the grass looks greener from a far, but when you actually step on the lawn, you find it’s full of dandelions.

Here.