Saban Can't Help 'Bama Land Izzo

For some godforesaken reason, some Alabama fans and media think they have a shot at landing Michigan State's Tom Izzo as the replacement for Mark Gottfried. Apparently, just because their football coach, Nick Saban, is a former Michigan State coach, he can just extend a phone call and land Izzo at the drop of a hat.

There are two problems here. First of all, Izzo has already built a situation superior to one he could build at Alabama. He's worshipped on campus, and his family is settled in the area. You aren't going to uproot your entire life unless bowled over by money. How much more money does Alabama have to spend on a basketball coach than Michigan State? Not near enough, if any at all.

Secondly, Saban himself has nothing to do with hiring basketball coaches. Just ask him.

"I'm not going to be responsible for hiring a basketball coach," Saban said. "There is nothing in my contract that says anything about that. I'm going to be as helpful as I can to whoever it is because we have good people here that are very capable of making a decision about who the good basketball coaches out there are, and who would be the best fit for our program in the future."

Obviously, this isn't to say he won't give Izzo a phone call and do a little recruiting for the betterment of the athletic department. He probably will do that.

A phone call from an old friend isn't going to pry Izzo away from East Lansing, though. He grew up in Michigan. He went to college in Michigan. He's not poorly compensated or disrespected in his current gig, and he's manning a program that is about to make the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in the past 12 years. There is no worldly reason to leave, especially not to play second fiddle to the Alabama football program

Tom Izzo is not leaving Michigan State. Nick Saban can't do anything about that. Just turn the page and start searching for a legitimately realistic coach, Alabama.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-09-2009 @ 7:15PM

Welcome Don said...

I certainly dont pretend to speak for Coach Izzo but I would imagine his thoughts of Sabin are not much different that most if not all of the MSU devotees. Sabin was nothing more than a LIAR, He interviewed at the drop of a pin even after stating that his blood runs green. Phfffttttttt he won nothing while at MSU , losing every bowl game he coached at MSU.
Alabama can have sabin ( until a better offer comes along)

3-16-2009 @ 1:51AM

mulepick said...

Izzone coached under Heathcoat and has been on his own for some time now. The whole state loves him, he's got a legit dynasty going, he played college ball in MI.
Saban was/is a 'ho. He left ELan under the cover of darkness to cash a big paycheck at LSU. Stayed there for 20min before he moved to the Dolphins where he pissed everyone off, leaving them lurched in even less time. Now he's richly rewarded in 'Bama but will soon see that others, if not he, realize there are more important issues than money. Family, honor, devotion. Izzone won't leave and, getting to know him, DAntonio won't either.
I hear 'Bama is already having to tap dance around how a state school can pay so much for a coach and still be so academically challenged.

3-17-2009 @ 2:03PM

GoBama10 said...

Are you a moron? The University of Alabama is one of the nation's top Public Universities. Forbes Magazine ranked it the No. 7 Public University in the United States last year. 40 spots ahead of Michigan State (who is 47th on the list).
Over the past six years The University of Alabama has also produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other university in the nation.

Maybe you should get you facts straight before you talk trash about a University that you know nothing about.

3-22-2009 @ 1:42AM

Moron? Nope, don't think so, lemme check... nope. Surely you must know that there's a stat out there for anyone? It took me all of two minutes to find:

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search

2009 US News blah blah blah list ranks MSU (and every other school in the Big Ten) ahead of Alabama.

I apologize. What I actually saw was a USA Today headline that went something like Alabama, #1 paid coach, #45 in aid to kids.

What do I care? My kids went to USC, I've got my own problems.

3-19-2009 @ 3:30AM

thebanq62 said...

Alabama ranks 33rd in all time basketball wins, only Kentucky and Arkansas from the SEC have more wins than the tide.....Michigan State is not among the top 35 all time win list.

Top 35 Winningest NCAA Basketball Programs

Team Wins Years 1st Yr
Kentucky 1748 96 1903
North Carolina 1733 89 1911
Kansas 1687 101 1899
Duke 1585 94 1906
St John's 1582 92 1908
Temple 1520 103 1895
Syracuse 1497 98 1901
Pennsylvania 1475 99 1897
Oregon State 1467
Indiana 1453 99 1901
UCLA 1444 80 1920
Notre Dame 1441 94 1898
Princeton 1407
Purdue 1404 101 1897
Washington 1402
Utah 1402 91 1909
Western Kentucky 1379 80 1915
West Virginia 1359
Illinois 1358 94 1906
Louisville 1356 85 1912
Bradley 1355
NC State 1345
Cincinnati 1338
Fordham 1331
Arizona 1331 94 1906
Washington St 1320
Texas 1315
Arkansas 1315
Montana State 1298
Ohio State 1291
Villanova 1288 79 1921
Iowa 1285
Alabama 1283
USC 1274
St Joseph's-PA 1271

4-10-2009 @ 11:10PM

zeclore said...

First let me say that I highly doubt Alabama can get Izzo away from Mich State. But the author of the article was sadly mistaken when he said he doubted that Bama couldn't pay Izzo more than MSU could. Thanks to the new CBS/ESPN contract, which will pay each SEC school an addtional $17 million a year, to a conference that already makes the most money of any in the country, paying more for a top flight coach in any sport should not be hard for a SEC school to do.

5-19-2009 @ 4:44PM

kd5dcj said...

i really dont give a damn about the basketball
program at bama i like a lot of other rabid insane
football fans only want to see bama kick auburns teeth in and get a rematch with gator man tebow.