How many times has Tom Izzo been to the Sweet 16? Exploring the Michigan State HC's March Madness record
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo's name might not inspire a lot of "notoriety" as someone like Duke's Coach K. But make no mistake: Izzo's record in March Madness speaks for itself, especially during his time at the helm of the Spartans.
Here's a quick look at how Tom Izzo and his wards have done in the NCAA tournament since he signed on as coach in East Lansing.
You might be surprised at just how good the team has been with Izzo handling the reins.
How many times has Tom Izzo been to the Sweet 16?
Tom Izzo has led Michigan State to the Sweet 16 an impressive 15 times since being brought on in the 1995-96 season (via College Sports Wire).
The Spartans HC's mark is good enough to give Michigan State the second-most Sweet 16 berths in NCAA D1 men's basketball history.
They are just three appearances behind the Duke Blue Devils under the legendary Coach K. This amount of March Madness success has earned Izzo the incredible nickname "Mr. March," foe obvious reasons.
Most recently, Tom Izzo helped the Spartans upset no. 2 Marquette in last year's second round with a 69-60 win. However, their luck ran out, losing 98-93 in OT to then-no. 15 Kansas State in the Sweet Sixteen.
Further exploring Tom Izzo's success in March Madness
The full extent of Tom Izzo's March Madness success as Michigan State coach can go unnoticed if one doesn't look into it.
However, you don't have to dig too deep to see just how amazing the Spartans have been since Izzo took hold of the coaching reins.
Barring just two seasons (his first one in 1995-96 and a sub-par year in 2020-21), Izzo has led Michigan State to a winning record every other time.
That includes the team's 32-7 run en route winning a national championship in the 1999-2000 season. Eventual NBA players Jason Richardson and Morris Peterson were the lead guys during the run.
The Spartans also had a nine-season stretch from 2012 to 2020 where they broke the 20-win barrier every single year. Their worst record during that run was 20-15 in the 2016-17 season, bowing out in the second round to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Either way, the team has also made the NCAA tournament for the entire time that Tom Izzo's been the coach, with the exception of the COVID year when there was no tournament held at all.
So no matter how one looks at it, Tom Izzo deserves all the flowers he's going to get when his time with Michigan State is done.