“Tom Izzo is our lighthouse,”  is how former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard described the MSU Men’s Basketball Coach on Tuesday. 

“He was that ambassador when we needed him the most,” Blanchard told the audience at the 10th annual Blanchard Forum for Public Service before presenting Izzo with the Spartan Statesmanship Award for Distinguished Public Service on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

Blanchard was introduced by President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., who was preceded in speaking by Political Science pre-law senior Jerome Hamilton Jr. and Political Science Chair Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz.

Izzo, who has been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and is starting his 30th year as head coach for men’s basketball, said this award meant so much to him.

“It is a privilege to think that I have something to say that is inspiring,” Izzo said. “You have to understand how important this is to me. Being a diverse person is very, very important. This institution means the world to me. The academic side means a lot to me... I’m putting this trophy in front of all my basketball ones.”

Izzo emphasized that his job as a coach, much like other university leaders, is to help make students’ lives better. 

“I’ve lived my dream. I am living mine. But I also get the chance to help college kids live their dreams,” Izzo said. “It’s all of our job to make a better world. We are here to make other people better. My job is to make players’ lives better.”

He also talked about his role models, including boxer Mohammed Ali and coach Vincent Lombardi. Coaching, to him, is less about the game and more about being a leader.

“For coaches, the ‘X's and O's’ are the smallest part of it. It’s how to get through to people. If you can lead, you can lead in a lot of venues,” he said.

Izzo talked about growing up in the Upper Peninsula and the importance of remaining connected to your roots. A native of Iron Mountain, Izzo graduated from Northern Michigan University with an undergraduate degree in education. But at that time, he didn’t consider being a coach — he thought he wanted to be a teacher.

“The hardest time in your life is when you graduate college. There’s a big world out there. How do you know where to start?” he told the students in the audience. 

Izzo decided to remain at Northern and work toward a master’s degree while helping out with the basketball team. His first job was with former MSU basketball coach Jud Heathcote who hired Izzo at age 26. Aside from a few weeks at the University of Tulsa, Izzo never left. 

“I wouldn’t have left here for the world,” Izzo said. “MSU is a cozy, homey place and I get to stay here and that’s pretty cool.”

This story originally appeared on the College of Social Science website.