Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has experienced his fair share of emotional senior nights over the years, however, tonight’s certainly hit different for the head coach. In fact, tonight may go down as one of the more memorable nights for Izzo.
In the wake of Michigan State’s 53-49 win over Northwestern on Wednesday night, the longtime head coach got the opportunity to watch his own son Steven finish up his collegiate basketball career after five seasons with the Spartans and embrace him immediately afterward.
“You’ve been waiting five years for (kissing the floor on senior night),” Big Ten Network sideline reporter Andy Katz said to Steven Izzo.
“A lot longer than that,” Steven Izzo replied.
Steven continued, sharing a few tears in the process.
“I’m so thankful that he allowed me to walk on five years ago,” he said. “It’s been the greatest decision that I’ve ever made. No matter how hard the lifts are or how long meetings go, it’s all worth it at the end of the day. And I’m just so grateful I get to do it with you.”
Detroit Free Press
It wasn’t just tonight though, the whole season despite the mediocrity from the Spartans as a whole, 2023-24 will undoubtedly stand out for Michigan State’s legendary head coach for all the right reasons. Aside from getting to share a moment with Steven in tonight’s postgame, it was this season as well Izzo got to witness his son score his first career points in a 73-55 win over Rutgers in January.
“Well, I tell every man and woman out there that coaches a men’s or women’s sport.” Izzo said, “If you can have your son or daughter with you, there’s nothing better. There’s nothing better, man. We’ve all sacrificed a lot, a lot of coaches have sacrificed more than I do, but getting some of that back, it means the world to me.”
I’m sure Steven feels the same way. Despite not lighting the college basketball world on fire, the fact that he played in 43 games, clocked in 51 minutes, and scored three points in his career is a stat line that Tom and Steven will cherish, even if that sounds completely cheesy and cliché as fuck.
