EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo entered the Breslin Center theatre on Monday with a bounce in his step.
Just a bit after 2:30 p.m., it was already a memorable day for the Michigan State coach.
To kick things off, the 70-year-old became a grandfather of two in the morning before the Spartans opened practice for the season in the afternoon.
“That’s a pretty good day for me,” Izzo said with a smile.
Raquel Izzo and her husband Matthew McDonald welcomed their second child as Sophie was born about 8:30 a.m. on Monday. Their first daughter, Isabelle, turned 2 in July and Izzo said Sophie was about 21 inches and eight pounds at birth.
“Her job will be to date a basketball player and help him come to Michigan State someday,” Izzo quipped.
Izzo’s job has changed dramatically by massive shifts to college sports but the primary business remains winning. The Spartans are the defending Big Ten champions but have a lot of work to do reshaping their roster after losing seven scholarship players from a squad that reached the Elite Eight.
Monday’s official start date to practice comes ahead of a pair of exhibition games before the season officially begins on Nov. 3 against Colgate. Izzo recalled days working under Jud Heathcote and practice starting on Oct. 15, the birthday of former Michigan State football player, assistant coach and athletic director Doug Weaver.
“That was a sacred day and now it seems like we’ve barely got our bathing suits put away and we’re starting practice,” Izzo said while noting football coach Jonathan Smith and former football coach Mark Dantonio were both surprised it began that early. “I said, yeah, we’ve got a real sport. Ours goes a little longer, we’ve got to be a little tougher.”
Izzo’s love of football is well documented and it wouldn’t be a fall press conference without him weighing in on the Spartans. Although Michigan State followed a 3-0 start with a 45-31 loss in a gritty performance at USC late Saturday night, he was encouraged.
“I was happy – not ecstatic but I was happy with our football team,” Izzo said. “I think we’re taking some steps forward and of course that always pleases me too.”