In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, NBA star Draymond Green sits down with veteran Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo to discuss the coach’s recent resurgence and the rumors surrounding his potential retirement. Izzo reflects on a difficult period four to five years ago when he felt written off by the media and the university, describing how he leaned on self‑belief, trusted friends, and a willingness to listen and learn to navigate that crisis. The conversation shifts to the 2018 season, when Michigan State, featuring Green and Miles Bridges, came close to a national championship, a moment that both relieved and haunted Izzo. Izzo credits that experience, along with a revitalized campus—new facilities, increased funding, and a vibrant student body—for reigniting his passion and helping attract top‑10 recruiting classes again. He shares his coaching philosophy, emphasizing that elite players make their teammates better, and explains how he gauges when it’s time to step away: when he no longer wants to endure the demanding recruiting grind or long hours. Throughout, Izzo expresses gratitude for the support of his staff, alumni, and fans, and affirms his commitment to continue coaching as long as he feels energized and connected to the university community.
Chapters
What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. You look as great as I've seen you look in 10 years. Like you just look like you're not stressed anymore. You look like you're rejuvenated. You look happy, which makes me happy. 'Cause I worry about you sometimes.
Yeah.
I know how much the amount of shit you take on. And there was a period 4 or 5 years ago where they also tried to leave you for dead.
Yep.
And they tried to write you off and lump you into something that had absolutely nothing to do with you. And one of the things that I love and respect about you is no matter what, whether it's your shit, whether it's my shit, whether it's someone else's shit that they just try to throw on you because you are the big name, because your time is up. You stand 10 toes down and you stood 10 toes down and you still here and you made it through that. But what did going through that do for you coming out on the other side? I know it was hell going through it for you, but coming out on the other side of it, what did going through what you went through do for you and got you in the place that you're in today?
Well, it's something I very seldom talk about, but I'm with you. I'm talking about it. It was one of the hardest things I ever went through, and it was hard for some of the people that went through some of the things they had to go through. But never been in that position before. And I did what you guys, I hear you guys talking about, I believed in myself. I knew what I had. I knew there were very few. Thank God for some of you that— some of my best friends, some of my best friends in the media. I mean, they throw me to the wolves, and I resented that. It's why I have a greater appreciation for what you guys do every day. But I hung in there, and I believed in what I thought was right, and I did the best I could. And it wasn't easy. There was no blueprint for it. But I did hang in there and went through even a tough time. We won 3 Big Ten championships, went to a Final Four. But even when you had your jersey retired, you remember your whole team came back, your coaches, your owner, and we embarrassed ourselves against Duke. And you came into my office at about 11:30 that night after my meeting and sat down and said, you told me some things you didn't think I was doing right. And, you know, people will never appreciate that because I'm the old man, you're the young kid, and we're supposed to be able to tell you what you do wrong. But I think— I'm not your coach no more. Definitely. I am your friend. You treat me like a friend. I hope I treat you like a friend. If I think you're doing something that's going to hurt you, I think I got the courage to tell you. That night in one of my toughest losses at home in the history of my program, I mean, you went at me a little bit. And one of the things, you know, we gotta get younger, we gotta do this, we gotta do that. And as you noticed, I listened. And I feel comfortable about that. Good for you. And I listened and I, you know, learned to listen. Listen to learn is what we use around here. And I think I did listen to learn. And I appreciate it. And that's why I know that the yous, the, the Cleaves, the Smiths, there's certain guys, not a million of them, a lot of good guys that I love, not a million guys will tell me what I don't want to hear. I don't think there's a million guys anymore that tell players what they don't want to hear. And, uh, but when you do it, that's real love. That is real love.
Absolutely. When I speak of rejuvenation, I think it's showing on your face, but where it's definitely showing is in the recruiting classes that you've started to pull in again. And I think, to me, I think that's because you're just all, you're back all in. Like you've teetered with retirement for a few years.
Mm-hmm.
Now I don't hear you talk about it at all anymore. Do you think that's been the key into you getting back in on the recruiting trail and bringing in the classes now that we're bringing in? Like we're starting to bring in top 10 classes again. Do you contribute some of that to your rejuvenation and just feeling like, no, I'm in this thing. Like I don't even ask you anymore, Coach, how much longer you gonna do it?
Right.
Because I feel like at this point now you're just gonna do it till you die. Don't you die on us. I need you. So like, how has that really had—
did that play a part? I think it was the '18 season when we had Draymond and Miles and we really had a good team. I mean, we were 30, 31 and 4 or 5. I mean, we had a good team and we were playing the first round in Detroit, but it was also the time of my darkest moments when I was going through those things that our whole university and everybody was going through. And that game ended. We got beat by Syracuse by 1, and the game ended. And I thought that team was good enough to win a national championship. And I kind of felt relieved. I didn't have to go to another press conference. I didn't have to answer things. And I lived with that for a while. Then I thought, "What a wimp, you know? Like, what am I doing?" You know? And that started the process, you know? And then, you know, A lot of nights we had talks, and, you know, Mateen and I had talks, and you just kind of realize— and I love what you guys were talking about when I heard you— is that only certain kind of people are built for certain kind of things.
Absolutely.
And I do think I'm one of those guys that want to take on problems and help out and make others better. You know, he said, "Great players make other players better." I don't think great players do. I think those are the elite players. Great players play great, but elite players make other guys that aren't that good better. That's what I watch you do. You know, everybody, you know, how many times you score over 10 points? But the consistency and the way you, you know, I always joke with people and I told Steph this at your wedding that, um, You know, the linemen, the great running backs, they always buy the linemen a Rolex or something when they have a 1,000-yard season, you know. Those guys better buy you something. But a number of screens and a number of passes you set that lead to their baskets, they better buy you a house 'cause they make more money than those running backs.
They do. A lot more money than the running backs. So now that I did say that, how much longer do you want to coach?
You know, I know one thing I'm not gonna do. I've watched some guys stay a year or two too long, you know? I'm not into anything but the day that I feel like I don't want to take red eyes, I don't want to go out recruiting, I don't want to have meetings in my office like some of the ones we had, I'm gone. I mean, I— And if I'm not, I know you'll tell me. I know Mo will tell me. I know Steve. You know, I got some guys that'll tell me, "It's time." You know, but you are right. I am rejuvenated. I, you know, right now the campus, it's electric right now. You know, Mel has done an excellent job. We're putting $70 million into football. We just put a bunch into hockey. We got cranes in the sky again. We got students walking, you know, 2 years of COVID 2 and a half years. We had nobody walking around. I got an office with windows in it so I can watch people walk and there was nobody walking.
Mm-hmm.
So, I'm like energized by that. You know, I love the students, I love the place, and we have 650,000 living alums. And yet we have guys like you that bring pride. You know, I heard Mo talk about Matt, you know, and Matt calls, he says, I want to get all the guys from the championship team. We're going to go watch Draymond Green. You know, I came out, my wife and I, for the first two games and had fun out there. Mm-hmm. And then we went to Boston and you know, the Boston Garden, my first time there, all the things you hear about it. And I watched my guy win a championship on their floor.
Absolutely.
That was special. And then he spent time with us after the next morning, you know, and we were with all of our guys. It was all your Michigan State guys, all my Michigan State guys. And, That, like, revives you. I mean, that energizes you. You can keep winning championships. Time for us to win another one. Spend a little bit of that next contract money when you get it and fly out to that game that night. And, uh, that's— that would be utopia for me.
