Nov 17, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has a smile at the end of the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images Dale Young-Imagn Images

Is Michigan State's Tom Izzo Getting Disrespected?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is one of the greatest coaches the sport of basketball has ever seen.

Izzo has led the Spartans to 27 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Final Fours and a national championship. His rank among the elite coaches in the sport should be undisputed.

However, it appears the legendary coach still cannot earn the respect he deserves, for whatever reason. Despite another elite year, which is routine for him, the college basketball media continues to disrespect Izzo.

Recent rankings from the Three Man Weave Podcast show that Izzo was not ranked as the top coach at the conference. Instead, each coach listed Purdue’s Matt Painter as the conference’s top coach, with one coach listing Izzo as only the fifth-best coach in the Big Ten.

Was walking the dog tonight and listening to this pod, and had to compile the rankings when I get back.

The Weave crew has Dusty May as the No. 5 coach in the Big Ten (high as 2nd, low as 7th). What do you think of @2ndChancePoints @Ky_3MW & @matty_cox's Big Ten coach rankings? https://t.co/QwxAGgkD8w pic.twitter.com/ENSWKl1GEw
— Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops) August 12, 2025

Is Izzo disrespected?

Any list that does not have Izzo as a top-three coach in the Big Ten should not be taken seriously.

One of the podcast host’s lists ranks Izzo below new Iowa coach Ben McCollum. The former Drake coach did a fine job with the Bulldogs, but he has only been coaching college basketball for one season, and there is no argument for ranking him ahead of Izzo.

Evaluating the bigger picture landscape of college basketball media, many rankings do not feature the Spartans in the top 25 preseason rankings. Have none of these experts learned their lesson about what Izzo does with teams with no expectations?

While it is fair to say that several other Big Ten teams hit the transfer portal harder than Izzo this offseason, bringing in multiple transfers should not be a major reason why teams are ranked so highly. There is no evidence to suggest that hitting the portal hard results in postseason victories.

Instead, Izzo will continue to build his teams the only way he knows how: by finding players who fit the culture he has sustained over the last 30-plus years.

Some, like us, will worry about what the media thinks of Izzo and his team. You know who won’t worry about it? Tom Izzo.

The Spartans will prepare for the season like they always have under Izzo: by blocking the outside noise and focusing on the players within the building.

However, Izzo deserves respect from the media for building a sustained winner for multiple decades.

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