Spartan Nation

NCAA Tournament: Tom Izzo passes Mike Krzyzewski for national record

No coach has achieved what Tom Izzo has done at Michigan State...

Matthew Lounsberry

In this story:

Tom Izzo stands alone in the NCAA record books.

On Sunday, Izzo and Michigan State were selected for their 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, which is now the longest streak for any head coach in the history of NCAA Division-I men's basketball.

Izzo first led the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament in 1998, his third season at the helm in East Lansing after taking over the program from his mentor Jud Heathcote. Michigan State has not missed the NCAA Tournament since.

The 25 consecutive appearances for Izzo breaks a tie with former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who led the Blue Devils to 24 consecutive appearances from 1996 to 2019.

Additionally, Michigan State's 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearances now stands alone as the third-longest streak in the history of college basketball, and is the second-longest active streak. Kansas has now been selected to the tournament for the 33rd consecutive time. The Jayhawks were led by former coach Roy Williams for the first 14 years and current coach Bill Self for the last 19 appearances of the on-going streak.

North Carolina had a streak of 27 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1975 to 2001, with legendary former Tar Heel head coach Dean Smith at the helm for 23 of those seasons.

Izzo now stands alone atop of the list, adding to what is already a Hall of Fame career. Entering his 25th appearance, Izzo has compiled a 53-23 record thus far in his NCAA Tournament career. Under his direction, Michigan State has won a national championship (2000) and reached the Final Four eight times.

Izzo is also the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Big Ten Conference after he passed former legendary Indiana head coach Bob Knight during the 2021-22 season. Michigan State has won 10 Big Ten regular season championships under Izzo (three outright, seven shared), as well as six Big Ten Tournament championships — the most in conference history.

Most Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances (Head Coach)

  1. Tom Izzo — 25 (1998-Present; Michigan State)
  2. Mike Krzyzewski — 24 (1996-2019; Duke)
  3. Bill Self — 24 (1999-Present; Tulsa, Illinois, Kansas)
  4. Dean Smith — 23 (1975-1997; North Carolina)
  5. Mark Few — 21 (2000-Present; Gonzaga)
  6. Roy Williams — 20 (1989-2009; Kansas, North Carolina)
  7. Bob Knight — 15 (1986-2000; Indiana)

Most Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances (Program)

  1. Kansas — 33 (1990-Present)
  2. North Carolina — 27 (1975-2001)
  3. Michigan State — 25 (1998-Present)
  4. Duke — 24 (1996-2019)
  5. Gonzaga — 24 (1999-Present)
  6. Wisconsin — 19 (1999-2017)
  7. Indiana — 18 (1986-2003)
  8. Kentucky — 17 (1992-2008)
  9. UCLA — 15 (1967-1981)
Published
Matthew Lounsberry
MATTHEW LOUNSBERRY

Home/Basketball