A day after men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo tipped off his 20th season at MSU, he was recognized as the latest induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Izzo led the cast of eight that were announced as the 2015 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday from Spartan Stadium. The announcement was made by former MSU basketball player and 2000 national championship winner Mateen Cleaves, introducing Izzo into the Hall of Fame Class.
“It is an honor anytime you get involved with, not only the people going in this year, Aleta (Sill) and everybody, but also the people who have gone in for all the years,” Izzo said at the induction event. “I’ve been down there more than a few times for different individuals including (Mateen), Steve (Mariucci) that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame and it’s one of those rare things that you get to do that you’ll probably remember for a lifetime.”
Other inductees include former Detroit Red Wings forward Sergei Fedorov , former New York Yankees shortstop and Kalamazoo native Derek Jeter, Michigan native and Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, gold medal swimmer and Livonia native Sheila Taormina, NHL All-Star forward Westland native Mike Modano and professional bowler and Dearborn native Aleta Sill . Former Detroit Lion defensive lineman Doug English was selected by the hall’s Legends Council as the final member of the 2015 class.
Tuesday also marked the first time there were two women inductees in the same year in the Hall of Fame’s 59-year history.
The Hall of Fame induction is just another impressive accomplishment on Izzo’s resume. During Izzo’s time at MSU, he has led the Spartans to six Final Fours, seven Big Ten championships, four Big Ten Tournament championships and a National Championship in 2000.
It was only fitting that Cleaves introduced Izzo into the Hall of Fame after the relationship the two have created over the years.
Izzo said being inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a great honor but he owes a lot of his success to Cleaves in helping him build up the career he has had at MSU.
“I know when they first told me (I was a nominee) I said ‘wow,’” he said. “There’s a lot of special things about it but a lot of this wouldn’t have had happened if it wasn’t for Mateen.” “Of all the people, I often say that I owe him a lot because I wouldn’t have lasted in this job if it wasn’t for him. At the same time I’d probably be 10 years younger if it wasn’t for him. All kidding aside, it is incredibly humbling to go in with such an incredible class.”
The official Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inductions will take place Feb. 12 during a ceremony event in Detroit.
