Izzo May Take Cavs Job

Tom Izzo, head coach of Michigan State University's basketball program, is leaning towards taking the head coaching job of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources close to the situation say. It was previously thought that Izzo wanted to win another national championship with the Spartans before he entertains NBA jobs. Izzo has recently flew over to Cleveland in Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's private jet. He toured all of the facilities and met with front office personnel. There is not a guarantee that Izzo will take the job, but sources say he has changed his thinking over the past couple of weeks and is leaning toward the job.

This could be a huge mistake for Izzo if he takes the job soon. There is not guarantee that F Lebron James will re-sign with the Cavaliers. No one knows James thinking at this point, and a Cavaliers team without James will probably be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference again. Izzo can be setting himself up for failure, just as other successful college coaches have done in the past when taking their coaching to the NBA level. Guys like Rick Pitino and John Calipari have enjoyed success at the college level but haven't enjoyed it at the pro level.

James wouldn't necessarily care if Izzo was the coach. James is probably looking for a big splash or looking for a good fit. When the Chicago Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as their new coach, that wasn't the big splash the Bulls needed to make to convince James to come to Chicago. However, the Bulls have been a playoff team without him, so that might work in their favor. The New York Knicks have Mike D'Antoni, who James liked when they worked together in the 2008 Olympics. When it's all said and done, if Izzo announces he's taking the job soon, he'll be making a mistake.