Tom Izzo is just a basketball coach. Yes, he’s a college basketball icon and what he’s done at Michigan State since 1995 is nothing short of legendary, but at the end of the day, he simply coaches a game. As much as we love our sports, things of that nature pale in comparison to the realities that the MSU community has had to experience ever since Monday night’s campus shooting that claimed three lives and sent five more to the hospital in critical condition.
Michigan State basketball’s record means nothing in these moments. Izzo’s tenure with the Spartans as well as his certain future as a Hall of Famer don’t really matter in light of these shootings. But what does matter for many at MSU is the fact that Izzo, like them, was hurting at the senseless loss of life in their community.
What does matter at MSU, is that someone as respected and revered as Izzo can bring that community together, and that’s what the basketball coach did on Wednesday night at a vigil.
“To the families of those who were senselessly taken from us, words seem so hollow right now,” Izzo said, per Fox Sports. “To the individuals currently fighting for their lives in a hospital and their families, we are praying for you.”
“Virtually all of my adult life, I’ve been a Spartan,” he continued. “I’ve seen some incredible highs and yes, unfortunately, there have been some devastating lows. But as a Spartan, we always get through it together. We need each other. For 40 years I’ve always believed that at Michigan State, we are at our strongest when we’re together. In athletics, the best teams are always greater than the sum of their individual parts. The same is true of our community. … If any of you need help, please speak up. Be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid.”
MSU students Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner all tragically lost their lives in the shooting.
