A Letter from Coach Izzo

The following is a Letter to the Editor written by Michigan State Head Men's Basketball Coach Tom Izzo to the Marquette Mining Journal following the team's game at Northern Michigan last Sunday.

Dear Marquette,

I write this note to say thank you.

Thank you from Michigan State University. Thank you from the Michigan State Basketball team. Thank you from all of our staff, our fans and our alumni.

Most of all, thank you from me and from my family.

Our visit to a place I call home – the Upper Peninsula, Marquette and Northern Michigan University – last weekend went beyond anything I could have ever expected in my life.

Mary Tavernini Dowling, the CEO of the Mariucci Family Beacon House said it best on Saturday when my team and the Northern Michigan team visited. I was born in the U.P., I grew up there and I have never forgotten the U.P.

And that's true. I am a son of the U.P. and proud of it. I was never more proud then when I walked on to the basketball court that was made at the Superior Dome last Sunday and I saw nearly 12,000 people there for our game.

This came together thanks to the work of both athletic directors, Alan Haller from MSU and Rick Comley from NMU, and both of our presidents, Kevin Guskiewicz and Dr. Brock Tessman. And finally, the collaboration of our two marketing departments was fantastic.

Last weekend was a homecoming to honor everyone who has been a part of my life and for all of the people who helped me get to where I am today.

To have my family there to celebrate with me, to see old friends and teammates and to see the city of Marquette embrace both of our teams is what being a Yooper is all about.

For that, I will forever be eternally grateful.

Sincerely,

Tom Izzo

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