Tom Izzo Will Not Be Coaching LeBron James

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="278" caption="Coach Tom Izzo"][/caption]

Michigan State, basketball coach, Tom Izzo, has said no to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers were wooing the Spartan coach and even promised to double his colllege salary from three million to six million.

No one knows if Coach Izzo did not want to sign on until LeBron James showed his hand as to where he will sign to play next. Apparently LeBron James kept his choice to himself and perhaps, Izzo did not want to commit without knowing if the phenom James were resigning with the Cavaliers.

The question is did LeBron give his tacit assent to go after coach Izzo and if he did, was Coach Izzo’s hiring conditional on LeBron James resigning with the Cavaliers - because  if it was, what now?

It is being reported that the next in line for an interview with the Cavaliers is Byron Scott; Scott is said to be interested in the vacant coaching position, but would prefer to be coaching in the West – even coaching the lowly Los Angeles Clippers. Moreover, Coach Scott is said to covet the Lakers coaching job if Phil Jackson retires; he so desires the Lakers job… that when Scott was coaching the New Jersey Nets, he had an out in his contract to pursue the Lakers job, if the position became available.

The question is what if the Lakers job becomes available and LeBron decides to stay in Cleveland – what would Scott do then? Would he decide to coach Kobe, a proven champion and currently playing for another or go with the young LeBron and be the coach to hopefully and finally take a Cleveland sports franchise to the Promised Land?  Yes, all this is moot until LeBron makes a decision as to where he will sign; in the mean time, the folks in Michigan are happy that Coach Izzo will stay put.