Ohm YoungmisukApr 1, 2026, 04:51 PM ETCloseOhm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter »Follow on XMultiple Authors
Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights (1:14)Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights (1:14)
Izzo, who just coached the Spartans to the Sweet 16 before losing to UConn, said he was tempted to join Ishbia in Phoenix. Ishbia was a walk-on player at Michigan State on Izzo’s national championship team in 2000.
“I was a lot younger but I have [had] more than a couple of job offers in the NBA and looked at one last year with Phoenix,” Izzo said while appearing on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“My former player, Mat Ishbia — that was hard. That was a hard thing to turn down because … I kind of wanted to go with him.”
Izzo, 71, has been the head coach at Michigan State since the 1995-96 season and is the all-time winningest coach in the Big Ten conference. The Hall of Famer has led the Spartans to 28 consecutive NCAA tournaments, including eight Final Four appearances.
Izzo considered NBA head coaching jobs in the past with the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He has said, however, that he remains intensely driven to win his second national championship.
The Suns are loaded with Michigan State connections. Ott was a graduate assistant for two years before spending five seasons as the video coordinator for the Spartans from 2008 to 2013. Suns general manager Brian Gregory was a longtime assistant coach at Michigan State. The Suns also added former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves as a player-development coach last summer.
Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights (1:14)Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights (1:14)
Ohm YoungmisukApr 1, 2026, 04:51 PM ETCloseOhm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter »Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseOhm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter »Follow on X
Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights (1:14)