Tom Izzo is not the type of coach who will coddle his players. Izzo is the first person to call his players out when they have done something wrong, and he will yell loud enough to make sure they can hear him. Izzo is a coach who certainly will say what is on his mind, and it is one of the biggest reasons he has been so successful at Michigan State.
NBA legend Charles Barkley agrees, as he could not stop praising the work that Izzo has done at Michigan State. The Spartans took down Louisville in the Round of 32 to book their ticket to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., next week. Barkley commended Izzo on the way he coached the game, and went even further to commend his style of coaching.
"They [Michigan State] play a certain way, and you have to play his [Tom Izzo] way," Barkley said. "He is one of the few coaches who can still yell at his players."
Incredible take from Charles Barkley on Tom Izzo:
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) March 21, 2026
"The media, who don't know anything about sports, say 'Why is he yelling his players?' That's called coaching... if parents & friends get mad because you're getting yelled at, get better parents & better friends." pic.twitter.com/YGvPiD6Ce1
Tom Izzo isn't afraid to yell at his players and Charles Barkley commends him for it
There is a reason that Michigan State has had so much success under Tom Izzo, and it is because he has created a certain culture and way of play in East Lansing that works. While Izzo has had to learn to work through the changing landscape of college sports, he has never changed who he is as a coach, and it has proven to work.
Barkley hit the nail on the head when saying Izzo is the only coach who can still yell at his players. While some may not like Izzo for it, his methods work, and he gets results from his teams.
"The media, who don't know anything about sports because they have never played, say, 'Why is he yelling at his players?' That's called coaching," Barkley said about Izzo.
"If parents & friends get mad because you're getting yelled at, get better parents & better friends," Barkley said.
Izzo knows how to get results from his players, and if what he is saying works, then why change his ways? Barkley even went as far as to call out family members and friends of players who may complain about it.
Izzo isn't a perfect coach, but it is clear he knows what he is doing with his teams as they show up year in adn year out and always find a way to succeed in March.