“You tell your players all the time: 'Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.' I think I'm in a position where I can help be part of the solution that's even way bigger than basketball.”

American college basketball coach, born 1955

Thomas Michael Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Born in 1955, he has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995 and was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is best known for leading Michigan State for decades and for his standing in college basketball. His public remarks often reflect the mindset of a long-serving coach, with attention to leadership, effort, and the demands of the game.