Head coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Wolverines defeated No. 6 Ole Miss in the Sweet 16 to earn a spot in the Elite Eight. Now, the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans are scheduled to face the No. 1 Auburn Tigers on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. EDT.
Izzo is bringing lots of experience to the Spartans, having coached the team since the 1996 season. In that span, he has reached the Elite Eight 10 times before, with this time being the 11th.
Tom Izzo Elite Eight record
As the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, Izzo has led his team to plenty of success. In 10 previous appearances in the Elite Eight, he has achieved an 8-2 record. The last time he led his team to the Elite Eight was in 2019, and his team advanced, losing in the Final Four.
How many Elite Eight's has Tom Izzo been to?
This will be the 11th time that Izzo has coached the Michigan State Spartans in an Elite Eight game. His most recent appearance this deep in the NCAA Tournament came in 2019. He first led his team to the Elite Eight in 1999.
Has Tom Izzo won a National Championship?
Yes, Izzo led his team to a National Championship in his fifth year as head coach in 2000. The Spartans defeated Florida 89-76 in the National Championship Game.
He only has one other appearance in the National Championship Game in 2009. His Spartans lost 89-72 to North Carolina.
How many times has Michigan State won March Madness?
The Michigan State Spartans have won March Madness two times. The most recent time came in 2000 with Tom Izzo as head coach. The other time came in 1979 with Jud Heathcote coaching the team.
Who is the winningest coach in Michigan State basketball history?
Having coached the Michigan State Spartans since the 1995-96 season, Tom Izzo is the winningest head coach in team history. He has amassed a record of 687-280. The coach with the next most wins is Jud Heathcote, who amassed 340 wins from 1976 to 1995.
Additionally, Izzo has the highest winning percentage among head coaches who coached the team for more than 11 games. He has a 0.710 winning percentage throughout his career at Michigan State.
The only other coach to have a better winning percentage is George Denman, who coached the team from 1901 to 1903. However, he only coached 11 games with the team.
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