Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo passes Bobby Knight for all-time Big Ten wins record

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo passed Bobby Knight for most wins all-time in the Big Ten Conference after their 79-65 victory vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Izzo tied the Indiana Hoosiers coaching legend’s 353 wins on Feb. 8 after the Spartans beat Oregon 86-74.

Izzo said after the Oregon game that tying the record doesn’t mean anything, but passing Knight, who is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time, is certainly a milestone worth celebrating.

Izzo started coaching in 1995 when Knight was in the final few years of his tenure at Indiana.

Knight began his head coaching career at Army in 1965 and remained there until 1970 when he was hired as Indiana’s head coach.

It didn’t take Knight long to find success as his Hoosiers finished 22-6 and reached the Final Four in his second season at the helm. (1972-1973)

In the 1975-1976 season, he led the Hoosiers to a perfect 32-0 record and capped off the run with a national title. Knight led Indiana to championships in 1976, 1981, and 1987.

He also won gold medals with the U.S. men’s national team in the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Knight’s coaching legacy is what inspired Izzo’s coaching journey. Izzo says one of his favorite memories of Knight is when his 1999-2000 team beat the Hoosiers in overtime at the Breslin Center and went on to win the national championship that season.

“Probably one of my best memories is when we beat them the year we won the championship,” Izzo said, “and he told me we had a chance to win a championship after the game.”

Records are made to be broken, and we wouldn’t know Izzo’s coaching greatness without Knight’s legacy. Izzo says Knight set the standard for winning in the Big Ten.

Izzo, the longest-tenured active D-1 coach, represents a group of coaches who pioneered a winning standard at their respective schools.

Izzo’s friend Greg Kampe has been Oakland’s head coach since 1984, but Oakland played in Division II until the 1997-1998 season.

When comparing Izzo to Knight, the numbers are similar.

Izzo now has 354 Big Ten wins to Knight’s 353. He has 727 total wins versus Knight’s 659.

Knight has won 11 Big Ten titles, while Izzo has won 10. Izzo has been to 26 NCAA tournaments, while Knight has appeared at 24. Knight won three national titles, while Izzo has one.