Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Coen Carr, left, and Denham Wojcik during the first day of basketball practice on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tom Izzo's Return Always Music To Ears Of MSU Fans

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Nathan Berry | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Having gone on deep runs, had crazy games, and been generally an amazing team with much depth that slowly but surely wears teams down, the Michigan State Spartans are an exciting team going into the 2025-2026 season.

Their returning heavy-hitting players in Coen Carr and Jeremy Fears Jr. are names that will buzz around often in the hype of the pre-season, but one name will stand out among the rest with the Spartan faithful: Tom Izzo.

Izzo is and has been the Spartans' head coach for 31 years, and each of those years has been very pleasant to the fans for many reasons, whether in tournament appearances, championships, or total wins.

Tournament Appearances Under Tom Izzo

In their 31 seasons under Izzo, the Spartans have gone on a Big Ten record-breaking 27-year March Madness tournament appearance streak.

It may not sound impressive to just appear in the tournament year after year, but it's incredible when compared to the next closest Big Ten team in the Purdue Boilermakers, who have made the tourney 10 years in a row.

A 17-year difference is not only a vast margin but also a clear dominant force ushered in by Izzo into the Spartans' facilities, giving fans something to look forward to each season he returns.

Championships Under Tom Izzo

Aside from five teams that have reigned supreme in the March Madness tournament, no team has won a title more than once, putting Izzo's championship run in 2000 land among elite company.

Considering how MSU also reached the elite eight last year, the possibilities of Izzo leading his team to another championship seem more than possible, but a feasible expectation.

Championship expectations arising just from a coach returning is a testament to that coach's impact, and it remains the same way with Izzo.

Total Wins Under Izzo

Most fans care most about how much a team wins on average, and simply put, Izzo is a master at leading his team to victory with 737 wins to 302 losses.

For every loss the Spartans' take the statistics say that two wins can be expected, and that being possible because of the steady presence of an extremely talented coach should bring excitement for fans whenever he returns to the team.

The younger generation may not appreciate Izzo as much as the ones who have been along for the entire Izzo era in East Lansing, but whenever he is interviewed before a season it should be music to any fan's ears, and will hopefully still be the case for years to come.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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