Magic Expressed Interest In Tom Izzo

3:29pm: Izzo won’t be the next head coach in Orlando, a source tells Graham Couch of The Lansing State Journal (Twitter link).

11:03am: As they continue to seek out a replacement for Frank Vogel, the Magic have expressed interest in longtime Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Izzo, who has led the Spartans to seven Final Four appearances and one national championship, has been the head coach at Michigan State since 1995. He has been involved with the program even longer than that, having originally been hired as an assistant all the way back in 1983.

Given his long-standing connection to Michigan State, Izzo seems unlikely to have serious interest in the Magic job. He has been pursued by NBA teams in the past, having been linked to the Lakers, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Pistons at various times within the last several years. However, he has always elected to remain at MSU; university president John Engler even said earlier this month when the Pistons job opened up again that Izzo is a “Spartan for life” and wouldn’t be a candidate for the Detroit job.

While it’s possible that Izzo will reconsider that stance at some point – the recent Larry Nassar scandal at MSU could be a factor – it would be a surprise if the Magic job is the one that ultimately brings him to the NBA. Having undergone a front office change last summer, Orlando is in the midst of a retooling period and doesn’t have a franchise player on its roster.

Still, the fact that the Magic have apparently reached out to Izzo signals that the team is casting a wide net in its search for a new head coach. We passed along details on the team’s newest candidate, Steve Clifford, earlier today.