Biography - Tom Izzo

Who is Tom Izzo?

Tom Izzo is a college basketball coach by profession and American by nationality. He has been the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team’s head coach since 1995.

Tom Izzo – Age, Parents, Siblings

Tom Izzo’s birth took place on January 30, 1955, in Iron Mountain, Michigan, USA. He was born to parents Carl Izzo and Dorothy Izzo.  He is not the only child of his parents and has two siblings- sisters Mary Bucklin and Anne Levandoski. 

Their father Carl Izzo passed away in December 2015 at the age of 90.

Education, Ethnicity

Tom Izzo was educated at Iron Mountain High. After graduation, he joined Northern Michigan University. He graduated from there in 1977.

His ethnicity is Italian.

Tom Izzo – Girlfriend, Children, Wife, Divorce

Is Tom Izzo still married? Yes, he is a happily married man. He married his wife Lupe Marinez Izzo on 30 May 1992 and has been with her ever since. 

The couple welcomed their daughter Raquel Izzo and adopted a son named Steven Izzo.

Also read: Frank Vogel - Basketball coach for Los Angeles Lakers

Tom Izzo – Career

Before fame

Tom Izzo met Steve Mariucci, a former NFL head coach in his hometown when they were kids. Both attended the same high school and also were teammates on the football, basketball, and track teams. While at Northern Michigan University, the two friends were also roommates.

At the University Izzo played from 1973 to 1997 for the men's basketball team, setting a school record for minutes played. After graduation, he was chosen to be the head coach at Ishpeming High School for one season and later was the assistant coach at Northern Michigan University from 1979 to 1983. In September 1983, he became a part-time assistant at Michigan State.

Also read: Buzz Williams - Basketball coach for Texas A&M, Virginia Tech 

Worked in

Tom Izzo also worked as an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa for two months in 1986. Right before 1990, he was chosen as associate head coach and in 1995 was made the head coach of men's basketball for Michigan State University (MSU).

With Tom Izzo as a head coach at MSU, the team won nine regular-season Big Ten championships and five Big Ten Tournament titles, and on November 26, 2015, he won his 500th career game.

Worked with

Over the years, Izzo has worked with Mike Deane and Jud Heathcote.

Also read: John Beilein - Basketball coach for Michigan Wolverines 

Tom Izzo – Awards, Nominations

In 2013 he was voted by USA Today Sports as the fifth angriest coach in college basketball and won the 1998 Henry Iba Award for the college-basketball coach of the year.

On October 13, 2016, Izzo earned the Dean Smith Award, the award which is  awarded to “an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values of the late North Carolina coaching great.”

He also was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2009. In 2016, he was Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tom Izzo – Salary, Net Worth

As Izzo is one of the top college basketball coaches in the USA, it is not surprising that his net worth is estimated to be $13 Million and his annual salary is estimated to be $3 Million.

Tom Izzo – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Despite his fame, he is however absent from social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Also read: Luke Walton - Former basketball player, Basketball coach