Michigan State Basketball: Tom Izzo Receives Dean Smith Award
Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo was announced as the recipient of the USBWA’s Dean Smith Award on Thursday.
One month after being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo was announced by the United States Basketball Writers Association on Thursday as the recipient of the Dean Smith Award for his coaching success and involvement in the community.
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The award is named after Dean Smith, who coached North Carolina men’s basketball from 1961 to 1997, winning two national championships and 879 games. The award was created a few months after Smith’s death in February 2015 by the USBWA and is “given annually to an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values of the late North Carolina coaching great.” The first award was given last season to former Georgetown coach John Thompson.
Izzo will be presented the award at a Michigan State home game this season.
In a release, USBWA president Ed Graney said, “Tom Izzo represents everything the Dean Smith Award stands for. Coach Izzo’s distinguished career and commitment to excellence represent the standards for which this award is defined, qualities Coach Smith held as paramount in making an impact on the lives of players on and off the court.”
The release cited Izzo’s work with various charitable organizations, including Coaches v. Cancer, Volunteers of America and the V Foundation for Cancer Research as part of his “history of community involvement and humanitarian work.”
Izzo has been Michigan State’s head basketball coach since 1995. He has won 579 games, including the 2000 National Championship, and his teams have appeared in seven Final Fours and 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Over 80 percent of his players who have completed their eligibility have graduated.
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Michigan State’s 2016-2017 men’s basketball season will begin with an exhibition game against Northwood on October 27 at 7:00 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
The Spartans’ regular season will begin at the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu against Arizona on November 11 at 7:00 and will be televised on ESPN.