Coach Izzo tested positive for COVID-19 in his antigen test early Monday morning, and it was later confirmed with a PCR test. 

Izzo said that throughout the pandemic, he has been vigilant about the virus and isn’t sure where this could have come from.

“I’ve been beating my brains out to figure out where and how,” Izzo said in a Zoom call with reporters Monday afternoon. “I think I have been as diligent as anybody, which just goes to show, it even tells you more about how serious this virus is.”

Izzo said that he has faith in the protocols in place and reminded everyone to listen to the doctors.

“If you look at the national medical people, they predicted a lot of things that have happened, including the second wave,” Izzo said. “So maybe we should all figure out that, even though I think I'm the smartest and heaven only knows you guys think you're the smartest, but I think we are not as smart as the medical people. That's kind of what I've tried to tell my players and myself to be honest with you.”

East Lansing, along with the rest of the United States is currently experiencing an uptick of COVID-19 cases across the area. After the MSU vs. Michigan football game on Halloween, MSU students took to the streets to celebrate the big win, including the ceremonial burning of couches in Cedar Village.

“The only thing I've been a little disappointed in is how people have handled it,” Izzo said. “Here I am with it, so that that'll lead me up for a lot of criticism maybe, but when I look around the country and I see what's going on or even in our own city there for a while, I know everybody's gotta do what they got to do, I know it's hard to be 20. I understand all the facets of life, I mean I deal with 20 year olds every day in my life. It's no joke, you gotta do what you got to do.”

Izzo pleaded with the community to take this pandemic seriously, no matter your views on it.

"For a guy who was brought up on toughness, it doesn't bother me to wear a mask,” Izzo said. “If I have to wear an apron or anything else, I'm cool with it. I just want to stay safe. I want everybody else to stay safe and do what you can do to give you the best chance.”

As of now, Izzo said that he is the only one from his family and from the team that has tested positive. While Izzo completes his ten day quarantine, associate head coach Dwayne Stephens will be running the practices. Izzo jokingly said that he hopes Stephens doesn’t try to implement a zone defense, but is happy that Stephens will get the chance to lead.

“I got a lot of faith in DJ (Stephens) and the guys getting their job done,” Izzo said. “I'm hoping that my team grows a little bit when they don't have me there. It really is, I think a good trial run for them to see how they adjust. How the juniors and seniors bring along the freshmen and sophomores, and hopefully that'll make us stronger when I get back.”

Izzo will still be able to coach from home via Zoom.

Throughout the day, Izzo said he received calls from concerned friends and family, including former MSU basketball player Mateen Cleaves. One of the other people he talked to was Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker, who had to coach virtually for an extended period of time with no spring practice.

“I thought Mel did an unbelievable job in the spring on how he handled trying to put in offense and a defense through zoom,” Izzo said. “It'll be a little different in basketball, but I have a good, experienced staff that's been there. They don't need me and hopefully my players kind of rally.”

Izzo will have to rely on his three time captain Joshua Langford to be the voice of the team in his absence.

“I have a Zoom call with him tonight and I'm going to talk about leadership,” Izzo said. “I'm going to talk about resiliency. I'm going to talk about handling all this and working your way through it and realize that in your college life, there's going to be a lot of situations you'd go against, but in your real life, there'll be a million of them, and somehow I got to make the negative a positive, that what I plan on doing.”

With Izzo gone for the time being, this will be the time for the rest of the team and staff to prove who they are as a team.

“I tell my team every day, how we handle adversity will determine who the champion is going to be,” Izzo said. "That includes me, I get to tell firsthand and like I said I put a challenge out to my assistants and a challenge out to my players that this is the time when you find out if your leadership is good. I think it's going to be. I think they'll do a great job with me out, hell they probably won't want me to come back."