It's not that there was any doubt about Tom Izzo's credentials as a college basketball coach. He was a Hall of Fame coach before this year's tournament even started. No question about it.
Report: Oregon To Court Izzo, Hoping To Make Him The Richest Coach In America
But after taking yet another overmatched team deep in the NCAA Tournament—I mean seriously, this Spartans team is in the Final Four?—it’s become clear that at least in the tournament, Izzo is as good as anyone in the country.
As for the University of Oregon, they may not have a basketball pedigree to match Izzo’s legacy, but with Phil Knight’s Nike dollars backing their efforts, they’ve got plenty of other factors to entice coaching candidates like Izzo.
According to ABC affiliate KEZI, the Oregon is swinging for the fences on this one:
A source close to the University of Oregon Athletic Department has told KEZI the Ducks are planning to offer Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo the largest contract in college basketball, with the backing of Oregon's biggest booster, Nike Chairman Phil Knight.
Another source within the Oregon Athletic Department has confirmed Izzo's name is on the list of coaching candidates provided by the search firm Spencer Stuart, but no offer or discussions between the parties have taken place.
Oregon cannot interview Izzo or make any formal offer until Michigan State is finished playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans defeated Tennessee Sunday to advance to the Final Four.
As the report says, it’s too early for Oregon to even speak with Izzo, let alone for us to speculate about whether he might bolt East Lansing. But it’s certainly something to keep in the back of your mind over the next week. The longer the dream continues for Michigan State, the larger the price tag on Tom Izzo. And Oregon, with Nike CEO Phil Knight sparing no expense to keep them competitve, doesn’t mind large price tags.
Would Michigan State be willing to enter a full-on bidding war with a billionaire CEO to keep Izzo?
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