One would think that there’d be some hard feelings between former Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams and Tom Izzo, considering Izzo’s Spartans twice narrowly ousted Williams’ Terrapins from the NCAA Tournament back in 2003 and 2010.
Any thoughts of a rivalry existing between the two legendary coaches can officially be put to rest, however, because Izzo has tabbed Williams to be his presenter in Friday’s 2016 Enshrinement Ceremony for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A quick review of the two men’s resumes shows how much they have in common, and why it makes sense that they’d be paired together on the Michigan State headman’s big day.
Williams, a 2014 inductee, has 668 coaching wins to his name. Izzo has 524 and counting. Both are basketball lifers — the former spent 33 years on the sideline at major schools, while Izzo has logged 21, all in East Lansing. And both guys are really freaking intense.
Will Gary get in a few good digs at his hardwood peer? Will the two do some cool fist bump involving their national championship rings? Does Williams still sweat profusely?
All of those answers will come at the end of the week, in what will surely be a memorable event.
