Michigan State's Tom Izzo is the Last of His Kind

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo is the second-longest tenured coach in Division I college basketball, trailing only Oakland's Greg Kampe.

Apr 2, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speaks to the media / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State coach is the last great Power Five basketball coach still standing from his generation.

The only active head coach in men's basketball who has been at the helm of his respective program than Izzo is Greg Kampe of Oakland, who recently wrapped up his 40th season as the Grizzlies' leader.

As far as Power Five coaches and Final Four appearances go, though, Izzo stands alone.

The Hall-of-Fame coach began his tenure as Michigan State's head coach in 1995 and has since taken the Spartans to eight Final Fours. In his nearly 30 seasons at the helm, Izzo has had NCAA Tournament battles with fellow legends Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K), Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun, who are all now retired.

All those college basketball icons, including Izzo, have won at least one NCAA title and been on countless NCAA Tournament runs. Boeheim was the latest of the retired coaches to step down, as the longtime Syracuse coach walked away from coaching in March of 2023.

Izzo's eight Final Four appearances rank him fifth all time. Coach K leads the the way with his 13 Final Four trips with Duke. He went on to win the title five times.

Coach K is followed by the great John Wooden, who won 10 titles in his 12 consecutive Final Four appearances, all of which he advanced to the championship game.

Wooden is followed by longtime North Carolina coach Dean Smith with 11 Final Four appearances, Williams with nine, and then Izzo.

Izzo, of course, has only won one title, which was way back in 2000. For almost a quarter of a decade, he has tried desperately to get back to that point where his team is the last cutting the nets, but it hasn't happened.

The 69-year-old head coach wants nothing more than to raise at least one more banner in East Lansing before he calls it a career.

Whether or not Izzo ever gets back to the Final Four or hoisting the national championship trophy, when all is said and done, his name is going to be mentioned among the greats, if it isn't already.

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