Spartan Hoopla: Tom Izzo Says He's Staying at MSU in Press Conference

At just after 8:35 p.m. Tuesday night, Michigan State University's president Lou Anna K. Simon began what would surely spark a fevered celebration in East Lansing.

She started the press conference that announced that Tom Izzo will be staying put as the Spartans' basketball coach.

Mark Hollis, the university's athletic director, delivered a solemn speech to the media and onlookers at the Clara Bell Smith Center's auditorium to introduce the man that is the face of Michigan State athletics.

After current and former Spartan basketball players walked, or hobbled, in Kalin Lucas' case, by their coach, patting him on the back, Izzo explained why he contemplated leaving for Cleveland.

"I looked at it and said 'how many more offers will you get?'" Izzo said. "I didn't want to leave."

"Steven (Izzo's son) thought it would be fun to play one-on-one with LeBron James. Blame it on him. I'm not going through this again. This was a decision for life."

Izzo said it's the guys that come back that keep him in East Lansing. It's precisely the family atmosphere that Izzo has created at Michigan State that has made his program so special.

He went on to say that Magic Johnson, one of the greatest Spartans of all-time, encouraged him to explore his options. Izzo said that Johnson said "Go on and earn what has taken you 27 years to get (NBA job)."

"There's a dream of coaching in the NBA," Izzo said. "The dream to coach one of the greatest players. Ironically, I'm at a school that has one of the greatest to ever play the game (Johnson)."

Izzo praised Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying he was a "blue-collar guy." He said he felt for Gilbert who lost his management and star player. Does that mean that James is gone, or was it just a slip?

The Spartan coach, who has posted a 364-146 record while at MSU, said that he believed he could translate his college success into the pro game. He said that Gilbert believed that he could, too. Of course, that's why he tried to lure Izzo with $30 million, and baited him with the possibility of coaching "The Chosen One."

Izzo said he didn't flirt with the NBA for publicity. He just wanted to weigh his options. He joked when he said that you can't be mad at people for seeing what's on the other side of the fence.

Izzo said, with a smile, that he should be mad at every one of his players if that was the case.

"They put me through the ringer with recruiting them," he said.

Hollis stated that his mission is to make Michigan State the best athletic department in the country. And he needs Izzo to head the charge.

Izzo said he didn't talk to James directly, but he did talk to people in his camp. He said "that I can appreciate what he has to go through," in regard to his free agency.

When asked if there was ever an "Aha" moment, Izzo cited when his "pro guys" called and talked to him. He asked his daughter, and she said that she didn't want to leave East Lansing.

Again, it was the family aspect.

Izzo was asked if he won a national championship in March, would he have left?

"I think it's funny that people could question my loyalty to this place," Izzo said. "My goal has always been to put Michigan State in an elite spot. I think three national championships puts it in the top-10. That's pretty elite." 

The Spartan coach talked about how excited he is about the incoming recruits. He said that he stayed because "The grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's pretty green here."

He told the media in attendance that he didn't feel that they gave him a fair shot to look at the job. The speculation ran rampant from the onset of the news that Izzo could leave to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I just wanted to look," Izzo said.

Izzo then got into a heated debate with Detroit News columnist Lynn Henning. Henning wrote an article that stated it's too late for Izzo to stay.

Henning wanted to know why Izzo was secretive, and why he didn't give much information to sports writers at major media outlets.

"We were getting an absolute dearth of information from MSU," Henning said.

"We understand, Tom, on what you have been going through," he said.

Izzo was being Izzo. He joked that the press conference was turning into a town hall meeting. He made light of the situation, and later made peace with Henning of the Detroit News.

"Could you have made this move without LeBron James there?" Henning asked.

"He was one of the key factors," Izzo said.

And it then sounded like Izzo uttered if he (James) would have stayed.

"I learned more in nine days than I have in 55 years," Izzo said.

Shooting-guard Chris Allen was not present on stage with the rest of his teammates.