If someone offered you $35 million to leave a successful college basketball program to become the coach and president of basketball operations for a struggling NBA program, would you do it?
For Tom Izzo, that was a no. The Star Tribunereported in a piece detailing the search for a Timberwolves head coach that the Pistons were thinking about giving Stan Van Gundy's deal—a five-year/$35 million head coach/president of basketball operations contract—to Izzo.
Izzo declined, which is a very smart move on his part for turning down a potentially disastrous decision. An NBA contract and $35 million is a come-up, but it's a short-lived one when you're thrown to the wolves in a position you have no experience in with a struggling franchise. Van Gundy has his work cut out for him, but he's more suited to tackle it. No disrespect to Izzo, of course.
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[via Pro Basketball Talk]
