Tom Izzo reacts to Lane Kiffin situation, sends passionate message to Michigan State players

After weeks of speculation, former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has officially been named the new head coach at LSU. The move comes just before the Rebels embark on their first ever College Football Playoff appearance in a matter of weeks. This move has shaken up the sport of college football and set off a coaching carousel which moved extremely fast.

During a media opportunity on Monday, Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo gave his thoughts on the Lane Kiffin situation, along with sending a message to Spartan football players about staying with the program following Jonathan Smith‘s firing.

“I would be broad based right now, as you have said, I have had players in my office because I believe in the place,” Izzo said. “I believe in what sticking with something can do for you. But, I do understand the problems too. I would just say this, that if you came here for the right reasons, there’s a reason I haven’t left. I’m here for the right reasons. It wasn’t the money, and it wasn’t that the program was so successful. It was to try to build something with a group of people in an environment that I think is blue collar and about what’s right in the world. The grass is not always greener, you know.”

Jonathan Smith led the program for just two seasons, where he led the Spartans to a 9-15 (4-14) record. Seven of those wins however were vacated, which officially put Smith’s record at 4-15 (1-14). The University however moved quickly in bringing on a replacement in former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who previously led the Wildcats to a 110-101 (65-76) record from 2006-2022.

Tom Izzo discusses Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU

“I look at what’s happened down at LSU and Ole Miss,” Izzo continued. “It was all over the TV today, so I had no choice but to watch it. And when I looked at it, I don’t hold nothing against Lane Kiffin for leaving. I don’t hold anything. But I think of, we always talk about giving the kids an advantage. What happens to the kids at Ole Miss? They have a chance to play for a National Championship. What happens to the kids at LSU? I’ll never forget when Nick Saban first got down there.

“He said ‘I don’t even leave the state. There’s so many players in the state that are dying to come to LSU.’ Well maybe there’s a bunch there dying to come to LSU and he takes a bunch of players from Ole Miss, and now those guys are out. So maybe one minute, they didn’t get a chance to win a National Championship. That may never come again. The second minute, maybe they’re replacing guys that died to be Tigers. And now those kids’ dreams are broken. And the final thing is that maybe they won’t win one there.

“So, I just think everybody looks at this so differently than I do. And maybe I’m the one that’s screwed up. But, I know there’s a couple of guys (that are talented at Michigan State). I watched (Jordan) Hall play the other day. I said to myself that I was at one of Jonathan (Smith)‘s radio shows and he was a guest. And I left there and said ‘God, I’d love to coach that guy’. He impressed the hell out of me. And he might get a call, whether we play Duke or whoever. Just to say I know what you’re going through, but you’ve been here for the right reasons. Maybe you can be here another year and lead a new group of people.”

Under Izzo, the Spartans are off to an unblemished 7-0 record with strong wins over No. 14 Arkansas, No. 12 Kentucky, and No. 16 North Carolina. They still have a massive non-conference matchup against No. 4 Duke on the docket prior to kicking off Big Ten play in a few weeks.