This is the 20th year that head basketball coach Tom Izzo  has been at MSU, and through this time his impact on the team — and the university’s students — has only continued to grow in strength.

The students of MSU see Izzo as a role model during basketball games and even long after the last shot has been made from the court. He’s someone who has an influence over MSU’s population, and he’s someone who uses that influence for good reasons, rather than to feed into his ego.

There is no denying that Izzo genuinely cares about the student body. During the traditional Izzone Campout he takes photos with students and has even stopped to toss a football around with them for a game of catch.

Of course, his Midnight Madness appearances are difficult to rival, as he has appeared on the court as the superhero Iron Man and, most recently, a member of the rock band KISS.

These gestures, while they may seem small to some, are important in the grand scheme of things. Izzo isn’t just a fixture of MSU or a name that students just so happen to recognize because of his status as a coach — he actively engages with the student population and reminds them how important they are to himself and the team.

If Izzo is disappointed in the volume of the student section’s cheers, he’ll make it known through email. If students are behaving disrespectfully toward the opposing team, Izzo reminds them that type of behavior is unacceptable — also typically through an email.

So when Izzo “nags” students over email about being louder during games, it isn’t something that is to be taken in annoyance. It’s a reminder that the love and dedication of the students and fans matters to him and his team.

And when the students cheer louder, Izzo cheers right alongside them. He’s animated and isn’t afraid to get loud and pump his fists in the air, nor is he afraid to voice his frustrations during the games. He gets just as excited as the students, as if he’s watching in the stands beside them, and makes them feel like a part of the game.

In fact, he has stood and cheered alongside the students — as the rain fell in a downpour during one of last year’s football games.

While Izzo will always be remembered for the Big Ten championships he led the basketball team to, his positive influence over students is something else to be admired about him. There aren’t many faculty members at MSU who go out of their way to include students the way Izzo does, and it’s one of the many reasons he’s as important to the student body as the 20 years into his career here.