Tom Izzo didn't start this mess, but he's gotta clean it up.
Michigan State's Hall-of-Fame basketball coach isn't involved in any way in the sexual assault trial that former Michigan State employee and USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar is involved with right now.
However, Izzo is the face of the university that enabled and employed the pedophile for 20 years, during which he sexually abused and assaulted at least 150 women when they were just kids and teenagers.
Last Friday, after an 85-57 victory over Indiana, Izzo was asked about the actions of his boss, Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon, and his thoughts on being one of the faces of the university.
And like every other adult at Michigan State who's had an opportunity to speak up and do the right thing, Izzo failed.
"I feel like it's changed the life of all of us at Michigan State in some way, shape or form," he said. "As a father, that's difficult to even fathom. I hope the right person was convicted."
Strike one.
Izzo said he "hoped the right person was convicted." Does the guy even believe that Nassar did it? And even if he does, isn't that a very insensitive thing to infer?
Earlier in the day, Aly Raisman, an Olympic gold medal winner, faced Nassar in open court where she told him, "We are here. We have our voices and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it's your turn to listen to me."
But it was Raisman's mother, Lynn, who called out Izzo.
"Dear Tom Izzo," Lynn Raisman wrote. "I'm sorry it's been a difficult week for you. Did you hear, Larry Nassar also said it was difficult. Since you 'hope the right person was convicted' I wonder if you are a complete and total MORON or just a LIAR when you claim you listened to the impact statements," Raisman's mother tweeted.
Tom Izzo failed as the face of Michigan State during the Larry Nassar scandal.
(David J. Phillip/AP)Strike two occurred when Izzo went on to take up for his boss, a woman who did the absolute bare minimum when it came to reporting Nassar and who has refused to show her face in the courtroom during sentencing. The Michigan State University student newspaper has even called for the president to resign, but yet Izzo still supports her.
"I have to say, though, that I have the utmost — the utmost — faith and respect for the leadership of our president, too, at Michigan State. That's a woman who has dedicated over 40 years — and I've been here 33 with her, and I think I know what she stands for."
Strike three happened when Izzo found a way to make this about him, and not the victims.
"I hate when I'm put in a position when I can almost start saying, 'I know what you're going through,' because I have no clue what they're going through and never will, and I hope I never find out," he said.
After receiving backlash for his comments, Izzo released a statement in which he tried to clarify his original statement, and still somehow managed to drop the ball yet again, proving that he doesn't understand why his words carry so much weight.
"On Friday night in my postgame press conference, I used the wrong words when trying to express my belief that Larry Nassar and anyone else who broke the law should be held accountable for their crimes. My overall message was, and remains, that I have tremendous admiration for the courage the survivors have shown, and that Larry Nassar has permanently damaged the lives of so many people and deserves all the punishment that he receives."
What Izzo has yet to realize is that he is much more than a basketball coach. Since 1983, Izzo has been a part of Michigan State as either an assistant or the head coach. In his career in East Lansing, he has led the program to a national championship (2000), and seven Final Four trips. Izzo is also one of the best college basketball coaches of all time.
However, the thing that Izzo is best known for is his image. He's never been linked to any scandals and has always been beloved for doing things the right way in a sport that has been plagued for decades by dirty recruiting tactics and paying off top recruits.
Since he took over as head coach in 1995, Izzo has been above it all and has kept his nose clean.
But Michigan State is stained, and it's time for Izzo to roll up his sleeves.
Larry Nassar is the one responsible for his actions, but Michigan State needs to be accountable for enabling and employing him for 20 years.
(BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS)According to a report by USA Today, Izzo was the fifth highest-paid college basketball coach in the country in 2017, as he made over $4.2 million last year alone.
When a university pays you that kind of money, you become the face of the institution. Because if Nassar had been employed by schools like Duke, Michigan, or Alabama, we would be looking at Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban to step up and address the situation as the highest-paid employees and faces of their schools.
Given his power and platform, Izzo has to understand that students, parents and the public are going to him as a moral compass.
Some will say that Izzo is in a tough place given that his boss, whom he considers a long-time friend, is under scrutiny. But that argument loses merit when you realize that Izzo has more job security at the school than anyone. Izzo's $4.2 million annual salary trumps the $860,198 that Simon was paid during the 2016 fiscal year. He also recently had his contract extended to 2024. It's safe to say he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Michigan State alum and ESPN anchor Jemele Hill recently wrote a column expressing her thoughts on her beloved alma mater. Hill pulled no punches as she held everyone responsible, including the school's former long-time gymnastics coach Kathie Klages, an associate who she's hung out with multiples times.
"If you're expecting this to be a column where I vouch for Kathie, or double down on my deep affection for Michigan State, play the what-about game or wax poetic about feeling embarrassed and disappointed as an alum because MSU is being rightly excoriated by local and national media, then you'd better stop reading this right now," Hill said.
"Michigan State needs to wear this shame. The university deserves this humiliation, derision, doubt, discomfort and every unkind word. We need to listen to every word from the victims and absorb all of their anger. They've dealt with this betrayal and violation of their trust for years. Michigan State only has to survive a few news cycles."
As this story continues, and as more women read their victim statements in open court, we must understand that while Nassar may have worked alone, it was the actions of adults that allowed him to molest and sexual assault over 150 little girls and teenagers.
The campus of Michigan State University is a mess right now.
And although Tom Izzo isn't responsible for any of the dirt, he has to be the first one inside the janitor's closet if his school ever wants to clean up the filth.
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