Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo disclosed during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Tuesday that he held substantive talks with Phoenix Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia about becoming the franchise’s head coach before the club hired Jordan Ott last offseason.
“We talked seriously about it,” the 71-year-old coach said, noting that the opportunity was difficult to decline because Ishbia, a walk-on for Izzo’s 2000 national championship team, is a former player he deeply respects. “I kind of wanted to go with him,” Izzo added.
The veteran coach considered the NBA post after guiding the Spartans to their 28th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, a run that ended in the Sweet 16 with a loss to UConn. Izzo, who has led Michigan State since the 1995-96 season and is the Big Ten’s all-time wins leader, has previously explored NBA openings with the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers but has remained committed to chasing a second national championship in East Lansing.
Phoenix ultimately selected Ott, another Michigan State alumnus, to lead a staff that already featured several Spartans ties. Ott served as a graduate assistant and later as video coordinator under Izzo from 2008 to 2013. General manager Brian Gregory spent years on Izzo’s bench, and former Spartans star Mateen Cleaves joined the Suns last summer as a player-development coach.
Ishbia finalized his purchase of the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in February 2025, quickly adding multiple Michigan State figures to key roles. Izzo acknowledged that his longstanding relationship with the billionaire owner made the NBA overture especially appealing but said he ultimately chose to remain at the college level.
Source: ESPN
