Izzo Staying In Lansing For Schizzo...

((HT: MyFoxDetroit.com))

Michigan State Head basketball coach Tom Izzo is staying with the Spartans turning down a chance to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I knew at the beginning that whatever decision I made would be a decision for life," Izzo said during a news conference on campus.

"I am going to be a lifer. This is what I'm going to be, and I'm damn proud of it."

Now, the plot thickens in Cleveland to find someone both Dan Gilbert and ((maybe)) LeBron James can agree will coach the Cavs and stop their post-season failures of late.

Here's coverage from our friends at WJBK-TV/Fox2...


Here's the press conference in full, thanks to our friends at NewsNet5 in Cleveland


What's next for the Cavs, you may ask...???
Our friends at WOIO-TV in Cleveland try to answer that burning question...
Tony Zarrella takes the lead in front of a monitor...

Don't Say It's Izzo... Cleveland's New Coach...???

((HT: WLNS-TV Lansing))

A person familiar with the Cleveland Cavaliers' pursuit of Michigan State university head men's basketball coach Tom Izzo says the coach plans to visit Cleveland to discuss the team's coaching vacancy.

Izzo is expected to travel to Cleveland to meet with the Cavs and tour their facilities.

Two people in East Lansing said Izzo was on campus all morning. He is believed to be mulling a massive contract from the club worth up to $6 million per season.

According to ESPN, Izzo held a meeting with his Spartan players yesterday. Sources say that the players left the meeting with the vibe that Izzo would take the Cavs' job if it was offered to him.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says the Cavs are still working more than the one angle with Izzo.Byron Scott seems to be on the radar as well, but Izzo is owner Dan Gilbert's number one.

Here's A "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" feature on the Izz...
Because, as we all know, nobody beats the Izz...
((HT: HBO Sports))

Coach K could be worth a lot of money

Let's kick off one of Sports busiest days with an interesting but highly doubtful rumor. The New Jersey Nets, the worst team in the NBA this season are looking to make a splash next season. They have a new owner, Mikhail Prokhorev, a Russian billionaire with money and personality to spare. And Prokhorev wants a new coach. Not just any coach, but a big name, attention getting...holy crap kind of coach.

With that in mind, Prokhorev has expressed a ton of interest in Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. So much so that according to a few reports, the job would be a $12-$15 million a year offer to coach and possibly be GM.

More from Yahoo Sports RIGHT HERE

((Coach K isn't going anywhere//Courtesy: Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer))

Krzyweski, for his part hasn't wanted any part of the speculation. When it first came up in February, he just kind of laughed it off. At age 63, with almost a lifetime at Duke, he has no reason to take such things seriously.

For their part, the rumor mill keeps grinding. There was also speculation that Prokhorev would be interested in Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

A speculative report from Midwestsportsfans.com RIGHT HERE

Another report that is pure speculation with a big name coach attached. We don't refute that the Nyets will throw money around to anyone with a big name that they convince to take the job, but we don't buy that it will be a near-lifer in the college ranks. Those moves never work out and we have no reason to believe they would this time either, price tag included.

Here is an interview with Krzyzewski done a couple of days ago by CBS. Thanks CBS Sports/You Tube:

Izzo and Oregon= One Word...Why?

Not to get on our soapbox or anything, but has anyone else seen the "Oregon interested in Izzo story that is making the rounds today? Yes, KEZI-TV in Eugene, Oregon is saying that "Sources tell them that Phil Knight of Nike will enable Oregon to offer current Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo the largest contract in College Basketball."

We give you KEZI's original story RIGHT HERE

Ordinarily we would say this is the point that we call B.S. However, we don't doubt that Knight would be willing to dole out whatever the school needed to draw in a big name coach. No, what we don't believe...for even a minute...is that Izzo would take the job.

((Tom Izzo Coaches//Courtesy: seattletimes.com))

Why? Why would he leave one of the near "Elite" programs, a program that he has put in back-to back Final 4's for a job at Oregon? Sure, in this day and age "Money Talks"...but come on...talk about ruining your credibility.

What bothers us about all of this is part of the story was gleamed off of source information who confirmed that Izzo's name is on a list provided by a search firm. So are probably 25 other head coaches, none of whom are guaranteed a shot at the job.

Izzo, to his credit downplayed the whole thing, telling the 4-letter word that "He's not been contacted." In a lot of Coaching instances, that may mean that "He" may not have been, but it doesn't normally say anything about his intermediaries.

Check out Izzo's comments to Sportscenter this morning RIGHT HERE

Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free-Press added his 2-cents RIGHT HERE

It really concerns us that at the college level both schools and reporters have no problem just randomly throwing people's names out for jobs. We have been on record a lot about how absolutely hypocritical and unfair the whole coaching carousel is to players and we will reiterate that. There should be a rule...a hard and fast one at that stating "No school can have any contact with a coach until there season comes to an end" period. We aren't saying that is the case here, we don't believe for a minute that Izzo would go to Oregon. However the folks in Eugene appear to be delusional enough to think that they will just by a "Big Name" coach and be successful. Yeah, right...good luck with that one guys.

Here is the original report from KEZI-TV...
Steve Andress got to sit at the adult table...

So Much For 7 Second Delay

The CBS Sports microphones picked up this exchange between Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and referee Steve Welmer Saturday. It's some good stuff but obviously the person in charge of the dump button was OTL.



Priceless.