Michigan State’s Tom Izzo draws sharp contrast between coaches and players leaving schools

The advent of name, image and likeness in college athletics, as well as the transfer portal, has turned basketball and football on its heads, but not everybody is for it.

Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, who has expressed support for student-athletes who want to make money playing their sport in college, drew a sharp contrast between why coaches leave their posts and players deciding to transfer because they are unhappy.

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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo speaks during Big Ten NCAA college basketball Media Days Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

“Yeah, I have flexibility, I can leave,” Izzo said at Big Ten Media Day, via ESPN. “I have millions of dollars of a buyout if I leave. I’ve paid 40 years of dues to leave. Most coaches have put in their time. Most coaches will be doing that at 35 and 40 and 50, not at 20 when one guy tells you to leave because you’re unhappy.”

Izzo said he has been “unhappy” for most of his life but never thought of leaving Michigan State because of it. He has been the head coach of the Spartans since the 1995-96 season. He led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 1998, and the Spartans won the championship in 2000.

“You know what, what’s wrong with being unhappy? I’m unhappy most of my life,” Izzo added. “Unhappy drives you. Unhappy pushes you. Unhappy makes people realize, ‘You know what? I’m not good enough. I’ve got to get better.'”

Michigan State Spartans basketball head coach Tom Izzo looks on from the sidelines of Kinnick Stadium before the game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans in Iowa City, Iowa. (Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

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Izzo made clear he was not a fan of the NCAA shortening the notification-of-transfer window from 60 days to 45 days. The window opens after Selection Sunday.

The coach said he thought 30 days would have been enough and feared the “unintended consequences” of student-athletes transferring, including the potential drop of graduation rates.

“This transfer portal is not going to be the best thing for the kids. You get 45 days. If you think a kid is leaving, are you going to go out and get somebody else? Because you can’t wait forever. Now it’s affecting the kids you’ve got there,” Izzo said.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a call against Marquette in the second half of a second-round men’s college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Michigan State was 21-13 overall last season. The team lost in the regional semifinal against Kansas State.