Izzo not mulling retirement amid Michigan State's struggles: 'I love my job'
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo envisions himself sticking around East Lansing.
When asked about the possibility he could retire as soon as this year, Izzo said no, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.
"I'm healthy. I love my job. I'm really questioning my profession," said Izzo.
The 68-year-old's future in basketball has been questioned due to the Spartans' disappointing performance this season, with the team on the verge on missing March Madness for the first time since 1997. Michigan State ranks 11th in the Big Ten with a 10-7 record (2-4 in conference play).
Michigan State was ranked fourth in the preseason poll but fell off the list after the third week of the schedule.
Many of Izzo's peers in college basketball retired in recent years, including North Carolina's Roy Williams in 2021, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova's Jay Wright in 2022, and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim last year.
Alabama football head coach Nick Saban also retired in January. Saban and Izzo overlapped at Michigan State during the 1990s.
"I know Saban pretty well, talked to him over the last couple of years, and saying that, I was shocked," said Izzo. "I was shocked Roy got out. I was shocked Jay Wright got out."
Izzo said he won't have a retirement tour like Krzyzewski and former Michigan State basketball head coach Jud Heathcote did whenever he does decide he's finished.
"I have a lot of respect for those guys," said Izzo. "I'm sure I'll be more in the Jay Wright and Nick (Saban) way of doing it. When it's over, it's over, and I'm walking away.
"But I've got a good recruiting class, I've got an opportunity to coach my former player's son (Jace Richardson, son of Jason Richardson). ... I'm in a good place in every part for me, except the frustration of the day-to-day, never knowing where you are. That's hard."
The Spartans take on Big Ten foe Minnesota on Thursday.