Tom Izzo and LeBron James: A Match Made in Cleveland?

I believe  Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has hit a home run by offering Michigan State coach Tom Izzo the opportunity to become the next head coach of the franchise, and God willing, LeBron James.

If Izzo were to accept his fellow Sparty's offer (like it has been reported on several sites, although not confirmed), I would be ecstatic, not to mention utterly intrigued.

Out of all the names that have been thrown out there (Byron Scott, Jeff Van Gundy, John Calipari, etc...), Izzo's name just outshines them all.

In Tom Izzo, we're not just talking about a very good college coach, we're talking about a GREAT college coach. Assuming Coach K is firmly entrenched at Duke, he is the best the college game has to offer right now.

His resume at the collegiate level speaks for itself.

In 15 seasons at Michigan State, Izzo has compiled a record of 364-146 (which passed Jud Heathcoate's previous school record of 339 victories) and guided the Spartans to six regular season Big Ten championships.

If that's not good enough, consider what he's accomplished with his teams in the NCAA tournament, which really sets him apart: a 35-12 record, 13 consecutive tournament appearances, 6 Final Four appearances (including three straight from '99-'01), one championship in 2000, and one runner-up finish in 2008.

Sure, he's had his share of talent in East Lansing (9 McDonald's All-Americans in 15 seasons, 11 players drafted since 2000), but he's consistently coaching this talent to wins deep into March.

That says a lot about coaching, right there.

The fact remains that if you stayed and played for four years under Tom Izzo, you experienced a Final Four, which is both remarkable and perhaps the best recruiting pitch that doesn't involve cash or academic fraud.

A lot of this consistent success experienced by Izzo at the college level must be attributed to his high basketball IQ and excellent understanding of the game.

Quite simply, he is a great basketball mind.

As it has been proven time and again in the NCAA tournament, he is an excellent X's and O's coach that is confident and capable of making in-game adjustments.

Already, that's a step above the departed Mike Brown.

But aside from strategy, a lot of Izzo's success year in and out at Michigan State must be credited to the mentality he is able to instill in his teams and his ability to communicate effectively with his players.

Izzo's teams are always competitive and characterized by their overall toughness and physicality.

More importantly, they expect to win, because Izzo is able to instill that confidence in them.

To me, this is what makes Izzo such an enticing candidate for the Cavaliers' head coaching job, and maybe the ideal choice given the wounded state of the team.

After all, if there's anything we learned about LeBron and his supporting cast this postseason, it's that they weren't playoff tough, physically or mentally.

Maybe the Cavs (and LeBron) need the exact opposite of what the passive and deferential Brown was.

Maybe they need a more fiery leader with a larger personality.

A guy that is willing to get in the face of of the team's star player when he's not performing up to his standards.

This is what makes Tom Izzo such an appealing option: the mentality he could bring to the Cavs. A mindset that is committed to defense, rebounding, and physical and mental toughness.

Now certainly Izzo would have to tone it down a bit at the NBA level, as some have suggested, but his name and coaching pedigree alone should make him an attractive enough candidate to sway the likes of LeBron James to resign with the Cavaliers.

After all, if the Cavs fall short again, it's not just LeBron failing this time around, it's college basketball legend Tom Izzo failing as well.

Either way, the risk is worth the reward in this situation for both parties involved.

If LeBron resigns, the Cavs are going to be good regardless of the coach.

They're going to win at least 50 games and advance to the playoffs and another shot at a ring for the King and the city of Cleveland.

With that in mind, this presents the perfect time for Izzo to test his mettle at the next level. He'd be inheriting a potential championship caliber team with a superstar.

If you're Izzo, why not see if you can add to your already ridiculous resume and win a championship at the next level with LeBron James?

The worst that can happen is returning to the collegiate level at pretty much any job he wants, and it's not like he'd be the first high profile college coach to flop at the next level, anyways.

And as far as the worst that could happen to the Cavs?

Well, they'd still have LeBron, so it wouldn't be that terrible.

It's win-win both ways, and now's the time for Izzo to try his hand at the next level.