Tom Izzo has a soft spot in his heart for former players. There are some former players who he seems to have an incredible relationship with to this day, and Tum Tum Nairn is one of them.
The former Spartan point guard who has since become the associate head coach for Bowling Green got a matchup with Izzo on Thursday night in an exhibition contest. It’s the second straight season in which Tum Tum has faced off against Izzo in East Lansing, and just like last year, the Falcons gave the Spartans all they could handle.
A big reason for Bowling Green being a thorn in Michigan State’s side had to be Tum Tum. He knows his former head coach as well as most, and probably had a perfect game plan in place.
Michigan State’s talent level was too much for Bowling Green to overcome, and the Spartans were able to hold on for a 75-66 win. But Tum Tum’s coaching ability hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Izzo spoke the media after the win and said that he’s going to get Tum Tum back on his staff.
Tom Izzo: "Some day I will get Tum Tum Nairn back on the staff here. Someday."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) October 24, 2025
The keyword here is “someday”.
To me, that statement means two things. One, Izzo is going to do whatever it takes to get Nairn on his staff as an assistant because he sees him as a bright young star in the coaching ranks. And two, he plans to be around for a little while because “someday” could mean a year or three years — or more.
Nairn has helped Bowling Green head coach Todd Simon effectively prepare for Michigan State in back-to-back seasons now, and he deserves a ton of credit for how the Falcons played.
Now let’s hope Nairn helps lead Michigan State to a national title in the future.