Takeaways from special Tom Izzo appearance on Pardon My Take

Tom Izzo surprisingly appeared on Pardon My Take on Friday and had some interesting things to say. Here are some takeaways.

Michigan State fans woke up to a nice surprise on Friday morning when it was announced Tom Izzo would be the featured guest on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast (the biggest sports podcast on the market). The Hall of Fame head coach talked for about 50 minutes on a wide range of topics.

It was an entertaining interview, and it’s well worth your time.

Big Cat and PFT Commenter do a great job of loosening up their guests. Izzo told a couple jokes and shared some stories in a very light and relaxed format. But that didn’t stop me from trying to listen for breadcrumbs about the future of Michigan State basketball.

While there were no direct questions about the current state of the program or its future, I came away from the interview with three takeaways.

1. He still cares

There has been a vocal minority online that has questioned Izzo’s drive and motivation. At 69 years old, with the success he’s had, there’s reason to believe that Tom Izzo has gotten content with his accomplishments and is looking to coast into retirement.

During this interview, I didn’t get that impression at all. At several points during the interview, Izzo voiced his disappointment with not playing this weekend in the NCAA Tournament.

“I better get off my dead butt and get it done… because I would rather be playing in April” was Izzo’s response to the proposed change of the saying “January, February, March, Izzo”.

His comments after the North Carolina game about advancing further in this tournament or “die trying” seemed to be validated during this interview.

Izzo referenced how important the health of his program is to his former players on several occasions. He feels the pressure of those expectations to honor the former players that built the program into what it is today.

He didn’t sound like a coach that was reflecting on the old days of what used to be. He knows how important success in the NCAA Tournament is, and he’s still as driven as ever.

“Especially in the tournament, I don’t sleep at all. You know, you don’t sleep much. Why would you sleep? You know, that’s for death, you’ve got a tournament to win.”

That’s not a quote from a coach that is easing up on anything. That’s the sound of a man that knows what it takes to win in March and is willing to put in the work.

Izzo has always been too authentic to fool us with his drive. “I wear my emotions on my sleeve” he said when describing his coaching style. “I’m not a phony,” he said at another point. We’ll know when Izzo doesn’t have the desire to be great. His emotions and his demeanor will be obvious. After listening to this interview, that all still seems to be there.

2. He is struggling to handle this generation of youth

You don’t have to listen too hard to find this in the interview, because Izzo practically comes out and says it. His notoriously rugged coaching style has had to be dialed back recently, and he’s struggling to find balance.

“What I think the big key is nowadays that we’re really all having trouble with is, how do you be demanding and tough enough to hold people accountable, and yet caring and understanding enough to let them know that you care?”

In the past, Izzo has been able to get the most out of his players by being demanding. It’s his way of showing how much he cares. His relationship with his former players suggests that he’s always found that line between tough and crazy. He’s been tough enough to push them to their limits, but not crazy enough to drive them away.

Here, he admits that he’s struggled to find that sweet spot with this younger generation. I think that’s relatable for a lot of people. Today’s youth has grown up with smartphones and social media at every point in their lives. The internet has exposed us to so much more than we previously weren’t. It allows us to see everything that everyone is doing at almost all times. It gives a voice to the voiceless, for good and for bad.

“I’m not phony. What you see is what you get. And, they see it from the day they come here so there are no surprises. And, by the way, it has been dialed back a lot because… because our society is so damn soft that, like you said, they’ll look at you getting mad at a guy if you look at him the wrong way and somebody will say something nowadays… it’s so stupid… it’s ridiculous.”

Izzo rightfully has a problem with outsiders criticizing his coaching style. He knows his players the best, and he knows what motivates them and what doesn’t. But it is interesting to hear him acknowledge the negative feedback. He hears it, and it does affect him.

But Tom Izzo is also very self-aware, and I don’t think he comes to that conclusion without witnessing some of it firsthand. The addition of the transfer portal has added another layer of complexity to this issue. That leverage, combined with the social media age has accelerated the philosophy change from players. It sounds like Tom (and other coaches) are still looking for that balance.

3: Izzo’s thoughts on the portal remain… complicated

While Big Cat and PFT didn’t go into specifics, they did bring up the transfer portal. Izzo didn’t say anything that we hadn’t heard before. To summarize, he stood firm in his stance. He doesn’t like it and thinks it’s bad for the game. But he did acknowledge that he “might” use it.

“You know what, when in Rome, do like the Romans. We don’t have a choice. We play with the cards we’re dealt.”

Izzo went on to outline how a lot of kids will lose out on opportunities by making irrational decisions that are enabled by the current system. He said he’d need “27 hands” to count the number of guys in his own program that wanted to transfer after their first year.

“Now those same guys are my biggest advocates and had the most fun,” said Izzo.

And while he doesn’t like the current system, Izzo did acknowledge that there were situations where transferring was best for all involved.

“There’s always a time to transfer, guys. Every place isn’t for everybody”.

But what I found most interesting was Izzo’s comments on the ease of which it is to transfer in today’s current state.

“Guys are now doing it two, or three, or even four times. Where are they going to have to go back to later on? You (Big Cat) love Wisconsin. Would you love Wisconsin if you went to Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, and Northwestern? I don’t know.”

I thought this was potentially telling of the approach MSU could take with any potential additions via the portal. Izzo still values his culture within the program above anything else. He referenced at another point in the interview that it takes “years” to build.

It sounds to me that even though Tom Izzo is open to utilizing the portal, the Spartans are still going to be very selective in terms of who they offer. They aren’t going to chase someone strictly because of their skills on the court. They value character, loyalty, and the potential impact it will have on that program culture.

Izzo’s words lead me to believe they won’t be considering someone in their third school in three years, and they won’t embrace somebody that is only in it for the payday through NIL. That’s going to eliminate quite a few potential targets. Because of that, I wouldn’t be stunned if MSU’s activity is underwhelming relative to the expectations of the fanbase. Until Izzo indicates otherwise, the health of the program and what has been built will always trump any potential risk with a portal addition.