Izzo Turns Down NBA Offer

May 13, 2000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The Atlanta Hawks will have to look elsewhere for a coach. Tom Izzo will remain at Michigan State.

Izzo, who led Michigan State to the NCAA basketball title last month, said Saturday he turned down a $15 million offer to replace Lenny Wilkens, who resigned as the Hawks' coach after a disappointing season.

It wasn't that the NBA wasn't attractive. Izzo, his voice sometimes cracking with emotion, said the bottom line was that he felt a bond with the university, and especially with his players.

``We've got a great bunch of guys,'' Izzo said. ``I'm going to put the bullseye on their backs. We're going to go into (next season) thinking we can win another national championship.''

Izzo's decision was received with relief and jubilation by Michigan State officials.

``This is wonderful,'' university president Peter M. McPherson said. ``This man turned down $15 million. This is a very good man and this university is truly proud of him.''

Football coach Bobby Williams said the whole athletic department was on edge, waiting to see what Izzo would do.

``Tom is big here,'' Williams said. ``He's done so much for this university. This is a happy time for everybody.''

The Hawks, while disappointed, respected Izzo's choice.

``I'm not going to kid you, Tom was our man,'' Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said by phone. ``We went through the interview process, and Tom Izzo was a guy we thought was a perfect fit.

``We knew it would be a long shot. He's had such great longevity and success at one place. It's hard to uproot that kind of situation.''

Babcock said Izzo never accepted the Hawks job.

``We talked seriously, but he never changed his mind,'' Babcock said. ``He needed to answer a lot of questions for himself, and he decided this was the best thing for him to do.''

Still, it wasn't easy. Izzo held a news conference Friday afternoon, met with Michigan State players and assistant coaches Friday evening, then spent the rest of the night on the telephone.

He got very little sleep. By morning, he had made up his mind.

``It had to come from Tom,'' his wife, Lupe, said. ``The decision was his to make, but I'm happy. I feel great.

``It was just a hard decision. It wasn't about staying or going. It was about what was best for our family.''

Izzo acknowledged that he was attracted by the money.

``I wish some of you could understand that sometimes we have to make tough decisions and sometimes they're not in the best interest of everybody,'' Izzo said. ``I do feel that I am giving up a great financial opportunity and a great dream to coach in the NBA, but it's not for nothing.''

Izzo has a 120-48 record in five seasons as head coach, including three straight Big Ten titles and consecutive appearances in the Final Four. The 45-year-old coach, making about $850,000 a year, recently agreed to a new five-year, rollover contract that would be worth $1.1 million annually, plus bonuses.

Izzo has been at Michigan State for 17 years, having worked previously as an assistant for Jud Heathcote.

The Hawks began pursuing Izzo in early April, shortly after the Spartans defeated Florida to win the second NCAA championship in Michigan State history. Babcock met with Izzo at the Desert Classic, a pre-NBA draft camp in Phoenix, but didn't make the coach an offer.

After Wilkens resigned, Babcock and Izzo talked again. This time there was an offer: $1.8 million per year. Izzo passed on that.

``It seemed like a long process to some, but to me it was just something I had to look into,'' Izzo said.

A week ago, the Hawks increased the offer to $2.95 million per season. It was all guaranteed, and Izzo was interested.

``I'm not about money,'' Izzo said. ``But I was really impressed with their organization. Their organization was incredible. But this organization is incredible, too.''

Izzo said he consulted with his boyhood friend and San Francisco 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, former Michigan State players Magic Johnson, Scott Skiles and Steve Smith, plus Grand Rapids businessman Peter Secchia.

He also talked with Philadelphia coach Larry Brown, the only coach to leave a defending NCAA champion for the NBA. Brown moved to San Antonio in 1988 after leading Kansas to a championship.

In recent years, college coaches such as Rick Pitino, P.J. Carlesimo and John Calipari have struggled after jumping to the NBA. That, too, intrigued Izzo.

What made him think he could succeed where the others had failed?

``Ego,'' Izzo said, proud of his Upper Peninsula roots.

At the team meeting, at the home of assistant coach Brian Gregory, Izzo said he was touched by something said by Mateen Cleaves, the gritty point guard who guided the Spartans to the title.

``Mateen said if I took the job, he hoped I'd draft him,'' Izzo said. ``But he also said, `I really think you'd have more impact on more players if you stay here.' That meant a lot to me.''

Marcus Taylor, a senior at nearby Lansing Waverly High School, whom Izzo has recruited since fifth grade, attended both the meeting and Saturday's news conference.

That, too, meant a lot to Izzo, since Taylor -- one of the most highly recruited players in the country -- will enroll at Michigan State in the fall.

``He told me to do what was in my heart, and he told me to do what was right for me,'' Izzo said.

By HARRY ATKINS
AP Sports Writer