Can a Crushing Buzzer-Beater Defeat at Home End the 25-Year-Old Reign of Tom Izzo?

A rollercoaster ride in the Big 10 sees Michigan State occupying the sixth spot on the table. A season of highs and lows has the State Spartans’ fate in a corridor of uncertainty before the March Madness kicks in. Moreover, the devastating buzzer-beater loss to Ohio State at the Breslin has everyone buzzing about whether head coach Tom Izzo should stay or not.

The two-time NABC Coach of the Year is receiving a lot of backlash after Michigan State’s recent home loss. Has the time come for Tom Izzo to call it quits? Let’s see what the experts have to say.

Analysts back Tom Izzo

Rob Dauster had an interesting chat with John Martin and Kevin Sweeney at yet another episode of The Field Of 68: After Dark. Rob started the conversation extending his support to the Hall Of Famer coach. He said, “There is absolutely no chance that Tom Izzo is going to go out on a season like this. I think they’ll probably still make the NCAA tournament. Tom freaking Izzo is not going out in the NIT. He’s not going out in a year where they (Michigan State) underwhelm their expectation coming into the season. That ain’t happening”

Following this, Kevin Sweeney had some views of his own that he shared with the panel. The popular sports journalist went on and said, “I don’t disagree with you. I do think he’s got longer than this year in him. I think he’s got one or two more years at minimum. But I do think that game-changing is not something that necessarily Izzo appreciates or wants. I wouldn’t blame him if he wants to walk away and not have to deal with that anymore.” 

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Meanwhile, it would appear that Michigan’s inability to hold to capitalize on the home conditions against the Buckeyes had the basketball fans question Izzo’s capabilities as a coach.

The State Spartans lose a thriller

Ohio State ended their 17-game losing streak on the road with a scintillating 3-pointer from Dale Bonner at the Buzzer. The off-balance beyond-the-arc shot handed Michigan State a heart-wrenching 60-57 defeat on their home turf. Soon after, interim coach Jake Diebler was asked to share his thoughts on the win. An elated Diebler said, “Give all glory to God. Hall of Fame coach, veteran team. Again, this is now a couple of games where they’ve revealed the character they have on the inside. And, I’m so happy for them.”

The 69-year-old has been a veteran figure inside Michigan State’s locker room. After serving for almost 25 years which included a national championship in 2000, it is unacceptable not to recognize the contributions of this legend. However, it will be interesting to see if the management wants to continue availing the services of the three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Do you think Tom Izzo should step down?