What Greg Gard said about Tom Izzo before Wisconsin’s big game at Michigan State

Since Jan. 17, 2016, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers have squared off against college basketball legend Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans on 17 occasions.

Izzo, the winningest coach in Big Ten history, has secured victories in 11 of those games. The 2016 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee has captained the Spartans to eight Final Four appearances, 10 Big Ten regular-season titles and one national championship (2000) since assuming the coaching duties during the 1995-96 season.

Izzo, who possesses 729 career wins, passed legendary coach Bobby Knight for most triumphs in Big Ten history (354) in mid-February.

Gard, who has witnessed Izzo lead Michigan State to 20 or more wins in 13 of its last 14 seasons, is arguably as familiar with Izzo as any other coach in the country. The two have a lasting relationship built on respect, friendship and admiration. Following Wisconsin’s blowout win against the Washington Huskies on Feb. 25, Gard offered some insight into the dynamic between the two top-tier coaches.

“He’s got the most wins in Big Ten history,” Gard said. “I don’t know what else I need to say. He’s been in the Hall of Fame for a long time. He’s been a great mentor for me prior to being a head coach and since then. He’s got a really good team this year. … They’re deep, they’re big. I can’t say enough about him as a coach and what he’s done for our league, what he’s done for Michigan State, what he’s done for college basketball. … It (will) be a sad day when he’s not coaching anymore because he’s one of the throwbacks. He has his way, and he’s very demanding. Kind of like the guy I used to work for. Like I said, I just have great respect for Tom and he’s always a phone call away or when we get a little rough spot, he calls me. If they have a little rough spot, I call him. He hasn’t had any rough spots this year, so I haven’t had to call to cheer him up.”

Gard’s first signature win as Wisconsin’s coach was against Michigan State over nine years ago, just after he assumed head coaching responsibilities in place of program legend Bo Ryan. Gard’s win over the fourth-ranked Spartans kick-started a late season surge that elevated the Badgers to 20–11 (12–6 Big Ten) and helped him erase the interim tag from his title. Since that 2015-16 season, the two programs have combined for 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big Ten regular-season titles.

Gard and Izzo, whose teams occupy the No. 1 and No. 3 spots in the Big Ten standings, respectively, were named to the Naismith Midseason Coach of the Year Watch List roughly a week ago. The No. 11 Badgers visit the No. 8 Spartans on Sunday afternoon in another marquee matchup.