The Last Temptation of Izzo: Week 2, Favre-style

So that means it isn't 100.000%

 

Pitino also came back and bombed spectacularly with the Celtics.

And he's also a college coach with an asterisk, because he had NBA assistant experience with the Knicks before going to Providence.

Izzo has never set foot in an NBA arena except as a paying customer.

 

Popovich is an NBA coach with an asterisk, because he started at D-III and worked there for about 10 years.
And the dude has won 4 titles.

 

Wasn't he clashing with the GM, though? I thought going to Kentucky was more of a way to land on his feet instead of getting knocked out on his ass.

 

After coaching in D-3, he spent nearly a decade in the NBA as an assistant coach, GM/VP of operations, before taking over as head coach.

I said earlier we can argue all night over the reasons why college coaches fail, but here it is: NBA players will not take somebody seriously unless he has been in and around the league for multiple seasons, as a player, assistant coach, scout or front-office guy.

NBA players won't give a damn if Izzo has a college WL percentage of .800 or whatever it is, as far as they're concerned he'll be a short stumpy hard-ass white guy whose only experience with the NBA has been to watch it on TV.

 

Mike Brown had a great resume, and the Cavs still screwed around constantly under him.
There are NBA players who won't take any coach seriously.
And there are those who want to win.
Most college coaches have been stuck with teams loaded with the former. Put a college coach in charge of OKC, and they'd play for him, because that team was built with character in mind. Put Izzo in charge of a LeBron-less Cavs, and his teams will get get destroyed -- just like Lawrence Frank's Nets were last year even though he'd coached in the league for more than a decade.

 

I know the last three years have been a bit rough, but Billy D did win two titles at a football school. That's not easy to do.

The problem is, Izzo can't pretend that LeBron's decision will impact his even though we all know it will.

 

Izzo has reportedly called a press conference for 7 p.m. Vibe is he is staying. Presser is in East Lansing, which is probably another sign he's staying.

 

Good point. I'd take one. In pretty much anything.

/southcarolinafanboy

 

Looks like the Izzo press conference will be tomorrow sometime now. Multiple sources are still saying he's staying.

 

Lansing TV station confirms, with everyone's favorite former football coach/buttinski trustee George Perles (How Can I Insert Myself Into This Story??) as the source:

http://www.wlns.com/global/story.asp?s=12635074

And now, just posted on the MSU web site:

http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061510aaa.html

Well.... we'll see. : :

 

Freep also has a story up now. Presser at 8:30 tonight.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100615/SPORTS07/100615045/1321/Izzo-ready-to-announce-hes-staying-at-MSU