Source: Izzo closer to taking Cavs job

[IrishTex]

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is apparently closer to saying yes to the Cleveland Cavaliers than previously thought, a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Thursday.



Izzo

That source discussed Izzo's future with a close confidant of Izzo's who is coaching in the NBA. The source told Katz that Izzo, who talked to his team earlier this week about his interest in the Cavaliers, is leaning toward taking the job if it is offered.

"Three weeks ago that wasn't the case, but it has changed,'' the source said.

After flying to Cleveland in one of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's jets, Izzo spent several hours visiting with members of the front office and touring the team's facilities on Thursday.

Izzo, who has been courted by pro teams in the past, is believed to be mulling a contract worth up to $6 million a season from the Cavaliers, who fired Mike Brown last month after they lost in the second round of the playoffs to Boston despite having the league's best regular-season record for the second straight year.



Continued (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5271586)

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

One of my favorite basketball coaches coaching my favorite basketball player would be awesome.

[Cameron Crazy]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
One of my favorite basketball coaches coaching my favorite basketball player would be awesome. Heard on ESPN he might back down. I would love to see him coach them though, but its a whole lot different from college ball.

[forum_guy]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
One of my favorite basketball coaches coaching my favorite basketball player would be awesome.


Last time i checked Izzo wouldn't actually be suiting up with a jersey which means Lebron still will not have the help to do anything special in the playoffs. lol

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by forum_guy
Last time i checked Izzo wouldn't actually be suiting up with a jersey which means Lebron still will not have the help to do anything special in the playoffs. lol

Coaches play in games all the time. :rolleyes:

You sound like you're a real basketball expert! Teach me, please!

[forum_guy]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Coaches play games all the time. :rolleyes:

You sound like you're a real basketball expert! Teach me, please!


lol come on he might have the best opportunity to win in cleveland but with izzo they still wont win a title. They don't even need Izzo to win their 50 games in the REGULAR season

[forum_guy]

A college coach is supposed to get "this" team over the hump?

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by forum_guy
lol come on he might have the best opportunity to win in cleveland but with izzo they still wont win a title. They don't even need Izzo to win their 50 games in the REGULAR season

Yeah, coaching has nothing to do with it.

[ziggy29]

The history of successful college coaches moving to the pros is, to be blunt, less than inspiring.

[IrishTex]

Izzo Watch: MSU coach undecided on NBA job

One of college basketball's brightest minds, Tom Izzo is wrestling with a career- and life-changing decision.

Michigan State or the Cavaliers? On Campus or in Cleveland?

Big Ten or Big Bucks? LeBron or LeGone?

Izzo still doesn't know.

One day after he and his family visited Cleveland to get a taste of the NBA, Izzo remained undecided about his next move. He sent a text message Friday to The Associated Press, saying he had not made a decision. Izzo later told the Spartans the same thing and didn't give them a timetable for the decision when they came to the basketball offices to get their Big Ten championship rings sized, according to a person who was there in East Lansing, Mich. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the meeting was supposed to remain confidential.

Izzo is believed to have been offered a five-year, $30 million contract by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, a Michigan State alum who may be looking to make a big splash with his coaching hire to convince soon-to-be free agent LeBron James to re-sign with Cleveland.

At the same time, Izzo has to be concerned about coaching a team without James, who is expected to listen to offers from several teams when free agency opens July 1.

With James, the Cleveland job is one of the league's best.

Without the two-time MVP, the Cavs could be in for some serious rebuilding.

Izzo's courtship with the Cavs has lasted more than one week but seems to be nearing a resolution. It's not known if the Cavs have given Izzo a deadline or if he has told them when to expect an answer.

Messages were left Friday with Gilbert and general manager Chris Grant, both of whom have declined to elaborate about their pursuit of Izzo, who has rejected offers from pro teams before but seems to be having a tough time turning down this one.

As the Cavaliers wait, the team is continuing its coaching search by doing research and evaluating other candidates. At the top of the team's "B" list is former New Orleans and New Jersey coach Byron Scott, now working as a TV analyst during the NBA finals.

Scott spent more than one hour on the phone with Grant and assistant GM Lance Blanks on Thursday, Scott's agent, Brian McInerney told AOL Fanhouse.com. McInerney has not returned several messages left by the AP.

The Cavs' interest in Scott is like all things, tied to James. Scott won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers as Magic Johnson's backcourt mate. Scott also has coached star players such as Jason Kidd and Chris Paul, giving him the necessary background to handle James.

Scott led the Nets to two finals appearances in four seasons, and guided the Hornets to the Western Conference semifinals in 2008.

The team also has inquired about Milwaukee assistant Kelvin Sampson.

Michigan State has been bracing for Izzo's possible exit for a decade, dating to an offer from Atlanta after he led the school to its second national championship. Each offseason his name emerges as a candidate for openings in the NBA and college ranks.

If Izzo leaves, Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said earlier in the week he has a long list of candidates he would consider.

Dayton's Brian Gregory, Tulsa's Doug Wojcik, Utah's Jim Boylen — all assistants under Izzo — likely would be on the list along with associate head coach Mark Montgomery and Dwayne Stephens. Both played for the Spartans when Izzo was a relatively unknown assistant for Jud Heathcote.

Izzo has been at Michigan State since 1983 and has been the Spartans' coach since 1995, leading them to six Final Fours in the past 12 years.

Source (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/37640156/ns/sports-nba/)

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by ziggy29
The history of successful college coaches moving to the pros is, to be blunt, less than inspiring. Your right and as a Cavs fan I would be disappointed if it was most any college coach but to me Izzo is different. Izzo gets the most out of his players and always finds a way to win when it counts. If you look at the other college coaches previously hired for NBA jobs you almost wonder what the teams were thinking. Tim Floyd, Leonard Hamiliton, Lon Kruger or many of the otheres recently hired none have the resume of a winner that Izzo has.

[coach]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Your right and as a Cavs fan I would be disappointed if it was most any college coach but to me Izzo is different. Izzo gets the most out of his players and always finds a way to win when it counts. If you look at the other college coaches previously hired for NBA jobs you almost wonder what the teams were thinking. Tim Floyd, Leonard Hamiliton, Lon Kruger or many of the otheres recently hired none have the resume of a winner that Izzo has.

and none of those coaches that you mentioned had a wife name lupe...

[IrishTex]

Good grief....it's good to know LeBron approves. :rolleyes:

Report: Izzo wants to talk to LeBron

The Cleveland Cavaliers' wait for Tom Izzo continues after a weekend of mostly silence from the Michigan State coach.

But there was a pertinent development Sunday night in the Izzo saga, when the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported on its website that LeBron James would not oppose Izzo's hiring after it was previously reported that James prefers to play for a coach who has played in the NBA.

The Plain Dealer, quoting what it termed a "high-level source," said James would "100 percent" endorse Izzo's hiring.

It remains to be seen what impact that sentiment will have on Izzo's decision, given that Izzo's hesitation in accepting Cleveland's five-year, $30 million offer is believed to stem mostly from the fact that James becomes a free agent July 1 and has given the franchise no known indication that he intends to re-sign.

Although the Cavaliers hoped that Izzo would make a decision over the weekend, Izzo only issued a brief text message Sunday to several reporters, including ESPN.com's Andy Katz: "Still gathering."

Katz reported Sunday that Kentucky coach John Calipari, who is friendly with James, is one of the coaching colleagues Izzo has consulted, not only for advice about moving into the pro game but also in an attempt to get a read on James' thinking.

Izzo is apparently still trying to speak directly to James, according to Lansing (Mich.) television station WLNS, but that had not happened as of Sunday night.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert insisted last week that James is not directly involved in the search for a replacement for Mike Brown. James also told CNN's Larry King in a recent sitdown interview that he does not want to be deeply involved in selecting his next coach, but any evidence that James would be supportive could help Gilbert in his determined chase for Izzo's signature.

The Tom Izzo Spartan Basketball Camp, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin Monday morning in East Lansing, but it was not immediately known if Izzo will be in attendance.

On Friday afternoon, Izzo told his Michigan State players he was undecided about whether to accept the lucrative offer from Michigan State alumnus Gilbert, according to a person at the meeting. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the meeting was intended to be confidential.

Although Izzo gave no indication of his decision, his players came away with the impression that he would take the Cavs job, The Plain Dealer reported.

Izzo flew to Cleveland on Thursday and visited with the Cavs for several hours. Chief among the issues he's mulling over is whether he'd still want the job in the event that the Cavs fail to re-sign James in free agency.

A source told ESPN.com on Friday that Izzo is also wrestling with what he feels is a life and career change. There is still no firm timetable for when his decision will be announced.

"It won't go on forever, I can tell you that," Izzo said Thursday night at the Lansing airport before getting in a car and heading home with his wife, daughter and son. "I feel bad that I can't talk. I feel good that I did what I had to do."

Gilbert and general manager Chris Grant have repeatedly declined media requests to elaborate about their pursuit of Izzo.

If Izzo spurns the Cavs, they could turn to former New Orleans and New Jersey coach Byron Scott, who not only won three NBA rings as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers but also has experience coaching stars Jason Kidd and Chris Paul.

The Cavs have maintained contact with Scott's camp for the past few weeks after losing in the second round of the playoffs to Boston despite having the league's best regular-season record for the second straight season. The Cavs, though, have not interviewed Scott face-to-face.

Since firing Brown, Cleveland has also been linked in media reports with recently dismissed Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Kelvin Sampson and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw. Grant said the Cavs have spoken to a "number" of candidates, but did not divulge any names.

As for Michigan State, Spartans athletic director Mark Hollis said last week that he has a long list of candidates he would consider if he needs a new coach.

Michigan State has been bracing for Izzo's possible exit for a decade, dating to an offer from the Atlanta Hawks in 2000 after he led the school to its second national championship. Each offseason his name emerges as a candidate for openings in the NBA and NCAA. But Izzo has never been this close to taking the leap.

Izzo could double his current pay with an annual salary of $6 million and leave the headaches of college recruiting behind. Of course, Izzo has an obvious emotional attachment to Michigan State -- and a team expected to contend for the national title next season -- that makes it difficult to leave, along with the knowledge that the overwhelming majority of college coaches that jumped to the pros have not been successful.

Dayton's Brian Gregory, Tulsa's Doug Wojcik, Utah's Jim Boylen -- all assistants under Izzo -- would likely be on the Spartans' list of potential replacements along with associate head coach Mark Montgomery and Dwayne Stephens. Both played for the Spartans when Izzo was a relatively unknown assistant for Jud Heathcote.

Izzo first met with his players last Tuesday, informing them he was in discussions with the Cavs. About 500 people, including center Derrick Nix, tried to convince him to stay at a rally Thursday night.

"Coach is the best thing that ever happened to me," said Nix, a freshman last season.

The rally at the Magic Johnson statue outside Michigan State's arena was suggested by fans on message boards and social networking websites. Hundreds wrote personal messages on a huge banner that was taped up to the windows of Izzo's office. An "Oh no, please don't go Izzo," banner was taped at the base of Johnson's statue.

Izzo has been at the school since 1983 and has been the Spartans' coach since 1995, leading them to six Final Fours in the past 12 years. The late John Wooden at UCLA and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski are the only other coaches who have accomplished that feat.

"I'm happy for him either way," said Los Angeles Lakers guard Shannon Brown, who played for Izzo. "He deserves everything he gets. He works hard. He knows his stuff. He rarely sleeps. He's always thinking about different ways to get better and different ways to stay on top of his game."

On Sunday, Michigan State fans planted "WE LOVE IZZO" signs -- with the love represented by a red heart -- alongside roads Izzo would take on his way to work.

Source (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5283435)

[BaseballUmp]

Not happening, he declined the offer today and will stay at Michigan St.

[eagles_victory]

Good I don't wanna a coach who only wants to come if Lebron will be there.

[Cameron Crazy]

Izzo is a coach that doesn't need to be in the NBA because of the way his coaching strategy is structured. He does not put up with crap and he pushes his guys to the limit.

If he was to go to the NBA and coach the way he does, no one would want to listen to him. Plus, dealing with guys that are superstars isn't always the best thing for someone to do. He deserves to be where he is, and Michigan State loves him and that's the best place for him.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by Cameron Crazy
Izzo is a coach that doesn't need to be in the NBA because of the way his coaching strategy is structured. He does not put up with crap and he pushes his guys to the limit.

If he was to go to the NBA and coach the way he does, no one would want to listen to him. Plus, dealing with guys that are superstars isn't always the best thing for someone to do. He deserves to be where he is, and Michigan State loves him and that's the best place for him. disagree sometimes coaches are winners at the level where they can win anywhere given the right situation and I think Izzo is that. After seeing his press conference I take from it that had he got assurance about Lebron he would of went.