Michigan State coach Tom Izzo 'talked seriously' about NBA job with Suns

Connor Earegood, The Detroit News on Apr 1, 2026

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Tom Izzo has been a Michigan State Spartan his entire head coaching career, but a year ago he nearly went pro.

On the Dan Patrick Show, Izzo said Wednesday that he “talked seriously” about taking a job as head coach for the Phoenix Suns last season, the same NBA team owned by former player and MSU donor Mat Ishbia. He turned it down and came back, leading Michigan State to a 27-8 season and a Sweet 16 berth.

“I’ve had more than a couple job offers in the NBA and looked at one last year with Phoenix,” Izzo said. “… That was hard. That was a hard thing to turn down because number one I kind of wanted to go with him. … And then number two 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 99.8% of the football and basketball coaches in America.”

Izzo is the winningest head coach in Big Ten history and owns a career 764-309 record with one national championship and eight Final Four appearances.

Izzo had two previous dalliances with NBA jobs. In 2000, he nearly left Michigan State after winning the national championship for a job with the Atlanta Hawks. And in 2010, a year after playing for the national championship in Detroit, Izzo turned down a job as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Changes to college sports including the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing have professionalized college sports to a level that makes Izzo consider his own pro options.

"I think things are so crazy in college athletics right now, I don’t know if I’d feel different if I was to be very honest with you,” Izzo said. “I think something has to be done with the insanity we’re going through.”

In December, Izzo received a $1 million pay raise from Michigan State that made him the highest paid coach in the Big Ten with a total compensation package of $7.2 million.

Now, the 71-year-old Izzo, entering his 32nd season leading Michigan State, appears in it for the long haul. Asked after a Sweet 16 loss to UConn where he sees himself in five years, he answered:

“Trying to win a national championship, plain and simple,” Izzo said. “That's it. Those things usually start after your last loss. Nowadays it's a little more screwed up, but not at Michigan State. After our last loss, we all talked about what we've got to do next year and how we've got to learn from this.”

In August 2025, Ishbia was sued by Suns minority owners Scott Seldin and Andy Kohlberg for accusations of mismanagement and withholding of records, but they agreed to mediation in March. The Suns organization has also been sued by former employees dating back to November 2024 for discrimination and wrongful termination.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in February that Ishbia had approached Izzo about the job but the Hall of Fame coach stayed put, instead advising Ishbia on the hiring process that landed former MSU grad assistant Jordan Ott as head coach.

The Suns are 42-34 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, second in the Pacific Division.