Tom Izzo isn't going to the NBA

First, it was Coach K to the Nets. Then, it was John Calipari to ... well, wherever LeBron wanted him to go. It was Coach K again last week.

Now, its Tom Izzo, whose name has been thrown in the mix as a replacement for Mike Brown in Cleveland.

And while most believe it is unlikely that Izzo will leave East Lansing, its quotes like "I've never been one to say never" that has Sparty worried. He's right. The offer from the Cavs is too good to not consider. A contract worth more than $6 million is possible, double what he currently makes with Michigan State. And while most believe Izzo won't leave unless he is assured that he will get the chance to coach LeBron, would anyone really blame him for taking a job that doubles his salary?

That said, I think Izzo would be a fool for leaving.

Tom Izzo now has an offer on the table from Cleveland.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Izzo is college basketball. There are few coaches that can motivate as well as Tom Izzo -- have you seen how hard his players compete night in and night out? He is a meticulous game-planner that is a coaching control freak, running set after set after set. I'd be surprised if there was a college team with a more extensive playbook than the Spartans.

He's also as scrupulous of a coach as you will come across. In the cutthroat world of basketball recruiting, have you ever heard Izzo's name mentioned in any kind of scandal? I haven't.

NBA coaches don't coach as much as they coddle, smooth egos, and figure out the best way to isolate their star. College coaches are teachers, getting kids not only to learn the game of basketball but how to function as men in our society. That's what Izzo does. He's an instructor. He has made six Final Fours in the last 12 years because he gets his kids to play hard and to buy into his system. You can't coach like that in the NBA.

And I think Izzo gets this. I think he knows he isn't cut out for the NBA, or at least is happy enough in East Lansing that he won't head to the pros.

He's not denying these rumors for one reason, as Mike Miller of Beyond The Arc points out:

Coaches do have huge egos. Comes with the territory. But this isn't simply to stroke his own ego. It also boosts his program and helps with recruiting. Here's the equation: Coach + LeBron = fawning high school prospect. The more Izzo's name is attached to King James' name, the better it is for him and Michigan State. Simple as that. Izzo did the same with the Kentucky rumors in 2009, keeping his name in the mix to bolster his reputation as one of the game's premier coaches (duh) and thus elevate his program. But that's all he's doing. He'll be at Michigan State for the long haul.

Over the last few years, Izzo has become one of the most sought after coaches at the collegiate level. Kentucky and Oregon made serious runs at him in the last two years, as did the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls prior to that.

And now the Cavs are trying to lure Izzo to Cleveland because they think it will help keep LeBron.

If you're a high school kid, why wouldn't you want to play for Izzo?