MSU's Tom Izzo Reveals Talks With NBA Team About HC Job in Video, 'Hard Thing to Turn Down'

Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo revealed during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show that he turned down a head coaching opportunity with the Phoenix Suns last year.

Mat Ishbia, who played three seasons as a walk-on point guard for Michigan State under Izzo from 1999-2002, is the Suns' current governor.

Phoenix ended up hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant head coach (and former MSU grad assistant) Jordan Ott, and the team has done well in 2025-26, going 42-34 (a six-win improvement from last year with six games to go).

This isn't the first time an NBA team has seriously considered and/or offered Izzo a head coaching job. In 2010, Izzo turned down the opportunity to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers for five years and $30 million, per the Associated Press.

At the time, LeBron James was about to enter free agency, and he eventually left for the Miami Heat. Izzo said he was unable to speak with James directly, and that played a big factor in his decision to stay at MSU.

"That was one of the key factors, 100 percent true," Izzo said, per the AP. "That was not the only factor. Was it a big factor? Sure."

Per the AP, Izzo had an offer for to coach the Atlanta Hawks on a $15 million contract in 2000, when he led MSU to the national championship.

"We've got a great bunch of guys," Izzo said at the time. "I'm going to put the bullseye on their backs. We're going to go into (next season) thinking we can win another national championship."

Izzo has been with Michigan State since 1983. He served as the Spartans' assistant from 1983-1995 before being offered the head coaching job. Izzo has been in East Lansing ever since, winning 764 games, reaching eight Final Fours and taking the aforementioned 1999-00 national title.