Success interview with Tom Izzo.
Notes:
Persistence started his career when he took a job at MSU as a Graduate Assistant.
Worked for Jud Heathcote for twelve years (nine as an assistant). This helped him learn how to handle the media.
"Great coaches don't motivate, they inspire." Encourages players to take ownership. Inspired people have more durability.
How do you inspire? Former players help a lot (e.g. Magic Johnson, Scott Skiles, Draymond Green)
What inspires you? His best friend is Steve Mariucci. He is inspired by 'sustained success' of Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick.
"I steal from a lot of people."
He spends time with players and that their dreams as individuals matter in addition to team accomplishments. He gives each player a notecard and asks each player to put down five individual goals. He then addresses with them whether they understand the difficulty involved. "What would make me a great coach?" He then acts to empower them with that reality.
He appreciates that cultural differences shouldn't be barriers to working together.
Identifying "cracks" in teams isn't always easy, but he has 'eyes and ears' on the staff to help him keep the pulse of the team. "Learn to listen and listen to learn." He has eight student managers and 'girl assistants' who facilitate communication.
"Do you want to build a team or build a program?" He says that a "player coached team is better than a coach coached team." (References engagement and empowerment)
How do you stay happy? Family (tries to bring normalcy), jogging, mentors and friends, and "be sure of yourself but not have a big ego". He would like to have a legacy of consistency, hasn't sacrificed values that he believes, and is loyal to the program (entire university).
Like the vast majority of successful people, he says the secret is in the work.
