Photo: Sgt. Robert Adams, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Tom Izzo was born in 1955 in Iron Mountain, about two hours from Marquette. He grew up in a family that ran a shoe repair business and played football and basketball at Iron Mountain High School, where one of his teammates and closest friends was Steve Mariucci.
Northern Michigan
Izzo and Mariucci both went to Northern Michigan University. Izzo played guard for the Wildcats and was named a Division II All-American as a senior.
After graduating he coached high school ball briefly in Ishpeming, then returned to NMU as an assistant.
Michigan State
In 1983 he joined Jud Heathcote’s staff at Michigan State. He became head coach in 1995.
Under Izzo, the Spartans won the national championship in 2000 and made many Final Four trips. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Still a Yooper
Izzo has stayed close to home. He has returned to the Upper Peninsula for clinics and charity events, and NMU has honored him in its athletics facilities. He often credits the region’s work ethic for his approach to coaching.
