Tom Izzo rejects retirement speculation: ‘I’ve got some things to accomplish’
By David Wasson
Published:
Tom Izzo isn’t going anywhere.
The Michigan State legend might have fallen four points short of his Spartans staying in the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday night, but the 71-year-old Izzo contended afterward that he still has plenty left in the tank and isn’t considering retirement.
I’m feeling good. We’ll talk about retirement — why? What the hell am I going to do? The minute I don’t feel good, the minute I don’t feel like I’m giving my AD, president, or school every ounce of energy I have every day… you won’t have to worry about it. I don’t steal money. I won’t steal anybody’s time. But it’s sure as hell not going to be now. I’ve got some things to accomplish.
Izzo’s third-seeded Spartans engineered a second-half comeback against second-seeded UConn in Friday’s East Region semifinals, but it wasn’t good enough to overcome the Huskies in a 67-63 loss. That setback denied Izzo a chance to coach for a chance to make his ninth Final Four – adding to Michigan State’s trips in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2019.
Still, the Basketball Hall of Famer insists that he has plenty of juice left for a 32nd season in East Lansing. The Big Ten’s all-time wins leader (764-309) just finished earning a 28th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and has never had a losing season as a head coach.
Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
