Michigan State basketball's Tom Izzo: Larry Nassar fallout was 'lowest point' in life

There were two times Tom Izzo or his wife had doubts the Michigan State basketball coach would last in his position.

Once — Izzo's wife, Lupe, told Graham Bensinger — was when the NBA came calling in 2010. She said the opportunity to work with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers was the only professional coaching opportunity the couple really considered during his nearly 30-year tenure in East Lansing.

Izzo, of course, returned to the Spartans and has since made two more Final Four appearances. But because of changes to college basketball, including relaxed transfer restrictions, Izzo said he's not sure he'd repeat that exact choice, if given the chance.

"I wonder if I'd make the same decision today with all the rules and the different things that are creating problems in our sport," Izzo told Bensinger in a soon-to-be-released interview. "But, you know, they always say to me now, ‘Oh, you guys are getting like pro sports.’

"I say, ‘No, we're not. They have a contract and salary caps. We don't have either one.’"

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He went on to say at this point, a move to the NBA is unlikely "for a variety of reasons."

"I think if I was 10 years younger — age might be some of it, although I feel great," Izzo, 67, said. "But I'm concerned where college sports is going right now. I really am concerned about it. But, I guess you never say never, but I got so much I wanna accomplish here. And especially all we've been through in these last five years, including the pandemic."

The longtime coach covered a range of topics with Bensinger: there was an adoption tale that name-drops Nick Saban, a story about Muhammad Ali and Izzo expounded upon his transfer-portal concerns. The conversation brought Izzo to his relationship with Larry Nassar and how that fallout casted doubts over his future with the university.

Nassar, a former MSU doctor, is serving a life sentence for the abuse of hundreds of girls while he worked with gymnasts in Michigan and elsewhere. Izzo was asked about Nassar in January 2018 the latter was being sentenced.

"It’s been a very difficult week for me," Izzo said in reponse to a reporter's question after a win vs. Indiana. "As a father, it’s been a difficult week. I listened to the stories of courageous women. I look at the survivors who spoke and, in all honesty, Nassar permanently damaged and changed the lives of so many of those people. I feel like it’s changed the life of all of us at Michigan State in some way, shape or form. As a father, that’s difficult to even fathom. I hope the right person was convicted. ..."

Lynn Raisman, mother of Olympic goal medalist Aly Raisman, was upset with Izzo, specifically for him saying "it's been a difficult week for me" and "I hope the right person was convicted." Aly Raisman and 2012 teammate Jordyn Wieber, a DeWitt native, were among dozens gave statements in court against Nassar.

Izzo clarified his comments two days later:

“On Friday night in my postgame press conference, I used the wrong words when trying to express my belief that Larry Nassar and anyone else who broke the law should be held accountable for their crimes,” Izzo said in a statement. “My overall message was, and remains, that I have tremendous admiration for the courage the survivors have shown, and that Larry Nassar has permanently damaged the lives of so many people and deserves all the punishment that he receives.”

He and his wife told Bensinger the controversy took an enormous toll.

"That was probably the darkest time of my career… Nothing compared to those two, three years," Izzo said. "... who could you talk to? And I did one press conference, and I said a wrong word that, to this day, I wouldn't have even thought nothing of it. It was like any word I said was gonna get attacked. And Larry Nassar, in my humble opinion, deserved everything that's happened. And I feel for his family, I feel for people, but those survivors did not deserve that. So I didn't know how to handle it..."

His wife was unsure if Izzo would remain the coach after the controversy. Lupe Izzo said she was angry "the media" did not defend Izzo even though he liked to talk to reporters.

"The picture on TV of me, (Mark) Dantonio, and Larry Nassar — it was probably the lowest point in my… life, just because I knew what I thought of Larry Nassar," Izzo said. "And there I am, like we're all buddies, the three of us.

Those press conferences... they were attacks. And I thought, to this day, those attacks by certain media (were) uncalled for."

Among other tidbits: The internet is not allowed in Izzo's house and neither are newspapers. He told Bensinger a player transferring isn't necessarily bad, but it can teach student-athletes to avoid or escape adversity — namely, sitting the bench.

"So you're not playing? I mean, Draymond (Green), he played five minutes a game his third... (Xavier) Tillman, (Denzel) Valentine; I could name you pros that they would've transferred by now, because they don't want to endure the process," Izzo said.

The interview will be released as part of an "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" episode released this weekend, according to the show.

Follow the Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for more news. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@freepress.com or on Twitter @TDavisFreep.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Larry Nassar has to do with Tom Izzo's 'lowest point' in life