Field Level Media
02 Apr 2026, 06:55 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he 'talked seriously' last offseason about becoming coach of the Phoenix Suns, a franchise owned by Mat Ishbia, a former Spartans player.
Izzo made the revelation on 'The Dan Patrick Show' on Wednesday when the topic turned to past NBA opportunities for the 71-year-old coach.
'I was a lot younger, but I have (had) more than a couple of job offers in the NBA and looked at one last year with Phoenix,' Izzo said during the show.
'My former player, Mat Ishbia -- that was hard. That was a hard thing to turn down because ... I kind of wanted to go with him.'
Ishbia, a walk-on guard, appeared in 48 games over three seasons (1999-2002) with the Spartans and was a member of Michigan State's 2000 national championship team.
Patrick asked Izzo if he was offered the Phoenix head coaching job.
'Well, we talked seriously about it, let's say that,' Izzo said. 'And then No. 2 is, I've been pretty vocal about it, I don't like what's going on in college athletics, but by the way, neither do 99.98% of the football and basketball coaches in America.'
Ishbia eventually hired Jordan Ott, who was a former Michigan State video coordinator. Ott worked under Izzo for five seasons before leaving after the 2012-13 season to become a video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks.
Ott has coached the Suns to a 42-34 record and the club is still in the hunt for a top-six playoff position in the Western Conference.
Earlier during his 31-season coaching stint at Michigan State, Izzo considered head-coaching gigs for the Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Atlanta's overtures came right after Michigan State's 2000 national title while Izzo turned down the Cavaliers post shortly after the Spartans were ousted by Butler in the 2010 Final Four.
Izzo has a 764-310 record at Michigan State and has coached the Spartans to eight Final Fours.
The Spartans went 27-8 this season and were eliminated by UConn in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Izzo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Arizona Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Arizona Herald.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: Unilever is combining its food business with spice maker McCormick in a deal valued at about US$65 billion, marking one...
NEW YORK, New York - American stock markets closed higher on Wednesday, with technology shares powering the Nasdaq Composite to a standout...
LONDON, U.K.: Mortgage approvals in Britain rose more than expected in February, while consumer borrowing also picked up, pointing...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Morgan Stanley has downgraded global equities and shifted toward safer assets, citing rising uncertainty from...
LONDON/BERLIN/MILAN: Luxury carmakers are bracing for a hit to one of their most profitable markets as the war in Iran disrupts demand...
HONG KONG: Chinese automaker BYD said on March 27 that its annual sales rose to a record US$116 billion, outpacing Tesla's, but its...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A growing share of Americans believe it is a bad time to look for a new job, highlighting a disconnect between low...
(Photo credit: Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he 'talked seriously' last offseason...
(Photo credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Michigan starting point guard Elliot Cadeau did not travel with his...
(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images) Corbin Carroll became the sixth left-handed hitter to homer off Tarik Skubal, and Zac...
(Photo credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) The Tennessee Titans are signing quarterback Hendon Hooker, running...
(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) The Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to make baseball history when they host the Cleveland Guardians...
