CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WXYZ) — After the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans beat the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday evening, 79-65, MSU head coach Tom Izzo is now the winningest Big Ten coach in the conference's history.
Izzo tied the record previously set by former Indiana coach Bob Knight on Saturday, when MSU beat Oregon, 86-74.
Enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, Izzo boasts a career-record of 727-300 midway through his 30th season at the helm. The head coach has led Michigan State to the 2000 NCAA National Championship, 10 regular-season Big Ten Championships, six Big Ten Tournament titles, eight Final Four appearances, eight National Coach of the Year awards and a Big Ten-record 26 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Izzo has led the Spartans to 56 NCAA Tournament wins, the most ever for a Big Ten coach, and sixth all-time.
Including his 12 seasons as an assistant coach, Izzo has been with the Spartans for 42 years. Izzo is the longest-serving active Big Ten men’s basketball head coach.
With tonight's win, the Spartans improve to 11-3 in Big Ten play and 20-5 on the season. As of Saturday evening, the Spartans are in sole possession of second place in the Big Ten standings.
WATCH OUR PREVIOUS IZZO COVERAGE
