Watch: Tom Izzo receives the most festive technical foul

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo reacts after getting a technical foul during the first half in the game against Oakland on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Watch: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo receives the most festive technical foul

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 12/22/22

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo has received his fair share of technical fouls throughout his 28-year head coaching career, but he has probably never received one the way he did on Wednesday night in the Spartans' 67-54 win over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.

Let's just call it a very festive technical foul that was truly in the holiday spirit.

Tom Izzo getting called for a technical foul while wearing an elf sweater is the gift that keeps on giving. pic.twitter.com/Evd9XwJfDS
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) December 22, 2022

Yes, that is Izzo berating a referee and getting T'd up while proudly wearing an elf sweater.

So why was Izzo wearing that thing in the first place?

Well, he put the blame on Oakland head coach Greg Kampe.

It is somewhat of a tradition for Kampe to wear ugly sweaters during games, and Izzo said after the fact that Kampe convinced him to do so for Wednesday's game.

“The sweater is Kampe’s fault," said Izzo after the game, via Mlive.com. "I think he got money if he could convince me to wear one. He was begging me, so he must have had a bet with someone, or maybe it was for a charity.”

Whatever the reason it was a small Christmas miracle to be able to see one of the most successful and fierce coaches in college basketball parading around the bench in that sweater and screaming at a referee dressed like Buddy the Elf. Good on Tim Izzo. Good for all of us.

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