Tom Izzo Has An Underdog’s Chance to Make It In The NBA

With various sources indicating that Michigan State Spartan head coach Tom Izzo is close to signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, all focus has shifted to how well the college coach will transition to the NBA game.

Those who have walked this path before have failed.  Period.

John Calipari is one of the most recognized and successful coaches in college basketball history.  After spending 8 years building the University of Massachusetts into a powerhouse program, Calipari took the leap to the Association in 1996 to coach the New Jersey Nets.  He went 26-56 in his first season, and was fired shortly thereafter.

Jerry Tarkanian, a staple on the UNLV sidelines for close to 20 years, is an icon in the college basketball world.  His influence on the Runnin’ Rebels program is still felt to this day.  In 1992, he left the Las Vegas desert for San Antonio to coach the Spurs.  20 games later, Tarkanian was out of a job after going 9 and 11.

Rick Pitino made a name for himself at the University of Kentucky in the ’90’s, leading the charge as one of the premier college program in the nation.  Cashing in on his success, Pitino left to coach the Boston Celtics in 1997, and left 2 years later with a winning percentage in the NBA of just over .400.

With the overwhelming abundance of evidence to the contrary, why are so many people across the nation enthralled with the idea of Tom Izzo coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Simple.  Tom Izzo is a different breed.

Patino, the Shark and ‘Cal are all known for their high profile recruits, their high pressure gimmick presses and their depth off the bench.  All this stems from recruiting the top athletes in the country year in and year out.  The three guys mentioned above are top notch recruiters, and the lack of parity in talent among their teams, and their opponent is apparent.

In the NBA, the landscape is much different.  The talent pool is spread much more evenly, and the coaches job becomes much more focused.

This could not set up better for Tom Izzo.

Michigan State is a fine basketball school, but Tom Izzo has not recruited anywhere near the top talent that some of the guys mentioned above… yet every other year, Izzo gets his team to the mecca of college basketball; the Final 4.  Izzo and his team always seem to enter March Madness as the scrappy underdogs.  Under appreciated.  Under valued.  Underrated.

This speaks to Coach Izzo’s ability to lead a team and motivate his players on the biggest stage.  While others may outshine Izzo in recruiting, few can hold a candle to him when it comes to coaching the game of basketball.

If there has been one criticism of Mike Brown’s Cavs, it has been that they have disappeared when the lights are brightest.

A Tom Izzo coached team does not shy away from the spotlight, and they have never let the moment become too big for them.  That is a coaching instinct that can not be taught.  Will this translate on the next level?

I believe it will.

If Lebron James returns, Izzo is walking into a dream job.  He will take the reigns to a well oiled machine that has had the best regular season record in the NBA for back to back years.  He will inherit the best player in the game, and a solid core of young athletes that have been gelling together for the past few seasons.

He will also be aided by owner Dan Gilbert who is committed to adding more ammo to this already loaded arsenal, and will do whatever it takes to bring a ring to the city of Cleveland.

In short, Tom Izzo will basically be asked to do what he has always done… teach his team how to win when it counts.  And I believe Izzo will be just fine with that.

If James decides not the resign with his home town team, the Cavs have enough core pieces in place that they should still compete in the Eastern Conference.  It would undoubtedly be a much more daunting task, and Cleveland would resume its role as the proverbial underdog; under appreciated.  Under valued.  Underrated.

Sound familiar?

I believe Izzo will be just fine with that too.