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by: Daniel House
When the clock turned past midnight, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo often waited for his phone to buzz. He always knew a familiar voice would be waiting on the other end of the line. Between completing late-night QVC orders, Flip Saunders dialed Izzo’s number to chat. The former Gophers basketball player and Timberwolves head coach, shared a special bond with one of college basketball’s all-time greats.
“He’s the guy that ordered everything off the QVC or VCQ or whatever the hell it is. He’d stay up all night and that’s how he bought his watches and his coats, I think,” Izzo said during Thursday’s press conference. “I do miss the late night calls.”
With Michigan State set to play the Final Four in Minneapolis, Izzo will be thinking about a man who left a lasting mark on the Minneapolis basketball scene. The Izzo-Saunders friendship spanned more than 30 years across the coaching ranks. Izzo helped Saunders secure one of his first assistant coaching jobs at Tulsa in 1986. It was the launching point for Saunders’ career before he became the head coach of three NBA franchises, including the Timberwolves. Despite going different directions, the pair continued to stay in touch.
“When Flip was at Detroit and Washington a couple times, I guess he lost his job and he used to come hang at our place,” Izzo said. “I just love Flip Saunders. He was such a fun guy to be around.”
Saunders lost his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015, but his legacy has continued in Minnesota. His son, Ryan, was an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves during Flip’s second stint with the organization. Little did the young coach know, just years later, he would be leading the Timberwolves just like his father did. Ryan Saunders was named the Timberwolves’ interim head coach on Jan. 7. When Ryan earned his first career NBA win, the Wolves locker room celebrated by giving him a Gatorade shower. Izzo was smiling from afar thinking about how proud Flip would have been.
“I watched the first night what he won his first game and got his little shower and everything, and I said, ‘how was that?’ He said, ‘I had my suit on.’ I said, ‘trust me. Enjoy it. Hope it happens a lot because it never happens enough,’” Izzo said during a press conference earlier this year.
Since becoming a head coach, Ryan Saunders has developed Flip’s smallest coaching intricacies, including his mannerisms and instincts. To honor his father, Saunders ran Flip’s “5-52 twist” play during his first career NBA game. All of those moments bring a little piece of Flip back to the game of basketball.
On Sunday night, Tom Izzo’s phone rang again. This time, there was a different voice waiting to speak with him. Another familiar friend had a late-night message to share. After Michigan State’s dramatic 68-67 win over Duke on Sunday, it was time for Ryan Saunders to make the same call his dad would have. More than four years after Izzo picked up the phone for a late night-conversation with Flip, it was now Ryan’s turn. The message he had to share with Izzo: “my dad would be excited.”
For Tom Izzo, he can’t help but think about winning the National Championship in Minneapolis – his friend’s city. When the ball is tipped and the bright lights shine down on the hardwood at U.S. Bank Stadium, Izzo knows he’ll have several fans cheering from the best section in the house.
“I miss Flip. He was great for basketball – pro and college – and I hope he’s enjoying a beer up there with Jud [Heathcote], my father and Gus [Ganakas] and all the other guys that are looking down upon us.”
Additional Notes:
For many of the players in the Final Four, this will be the first time they have played basketball in a large football stadium. For the past few months, stadium staff has been preparing by installing temporary seating, adding signage and making adjustments to the expanded 72,000-seat stadium. With different site lines and depth perceptions in this environment, teams will need to adjust. All four teams had an opportunity to shoot around in U.S. Stadium on Thursday afternoon. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has been to large stadiums for basketball games, but was initially impressed with the atmosphere.
“We were here this morning and shot, got a lot of shots and the sight lines are really good. I’ve been in some bigger domes as a fan, and it doesn’t seem like – it doesn’t seem as big,” Pearl said during Tuesday’s press conference. “So the guys are – the guys got lots of shots, and this should not be a factor. The rims are soft. I think the shooting percentages will be good.”
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When the clock turned past midnight, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo often waited for his phone to buzz. He always knew a familiar voice would be waiting on the other end of the line. Between completing late-night QVC orders, Flip Saunders dialed Izzo’s number to chat. The former Gophers basketball player and Timberwolves head coach, shared a special bond with one of college basketball’s all-time greats.
“He’s the guy that ordered everything off the QVC or VCQ or whatever the hell it is. He’d stay up all night and that’s how he bought his watches and his coats, I think,” Izzo said during Thursday’s press conference. “I do miss the late night calls.”
With Michigan State set to play the Final Four in Minneapolis, Izzo will be thinking about a man who left a lasting mark on the Minneapolis basketball scene. The Izzo-Saunders friendship spanned more than 30 years across the coaching ranks. Izzo helped Saunders secure one of his first assistant coaching jobs at Tulsa in 1986. It was the launching point for Saunders’ career before he became the head coach of three NBA franchises, including the Timberwolves. Despite going different directions, the pair continued to stay in touch.
“When Flip was at Detroit and Washington a couple times, I guess he lost his job and he used to come hang at our place,” Izzo said. “I just love Flip Saunders. He was such a fun guy to be around.”
Saunders lost his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015, but his legacy has continued in Minnesota. His son, Ryan, was an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves during Flip’s second stint with the organization. Little did the young coach know, just years later, he would be leading the Timberwolves just like his father did. Ryan Saunders was named the Timberwolves’ interim head coach on Jan. 7. When Ryan earned his first career NBA win, the Wolves locker room celebrated by giving him a Gatorade shower. Izzo was smiling from afar thinking about how proud Flip would have been.
“I watched the first night what he won his first game and got his little shower and everything, and I said, ‘how was that?’ He said, ‘I had my suit on.’ I said, ‘trust me. Enjoy it. Hope it happens a lot because it never happens enough,’” Izzo said during a press conference earlier this year.
Since becoming a head coach, Ryan Saunders has developed Flip’s smallest coaching intricacies, including his mannerisms and instincts. To honor his father, Saunders ran Flip’s “5-52 twist” play during his first career NBA game. All of those moments bring a little piece of Flip back to the game of basketball.
On Sunday night, Tom Izzo’s phone rang again. This time, there was a different voice waiting to speak with him. Another familiar friend had a late-night message to share. After Michigan State’s dramatic 68-67 win over Duke on Sunday, it was time for Ryan Saunders to make the same call his dad would have. More than four years after Izzo picked up the phone for a late night-conversation with Flip, it was now Ryan’s turn. The message he had to share with Izzo: “my dad would be excited.”
For Tom Izzo, he can’t help but think about winning the National Championship in Minneapolis – his friend’s city. When the ball is tipped and the bright lights shine down on the hardwood at U.S. Bank Stadium, Izzo knows he’ll have several fans cheering from the best section in the house.
“I miss Flip. He was great for basketball – pro and college – and I hope he’s enjoying a beer up there with Jud [Heathcote], my father and Gus [Ganakas] and all the other guys that are looking down upon us.”
Additional Notes:
For many of the players in the Final Four, this will be the first time they have played basketball in a large football stadium. For the past few months, stadium staff has been preparing by installing temporary seating, adding signage and making adjustments to the expanded 72,000-seat stadium. With different site lines and depth perceptions in this environment, teams will need to adjust. All four teams had an opportunity to shoot around in U.S. Stadium on Thursday afternoon. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has been to large stadiums for basketball games, but was initially impressed with the atmosphere.
“We were here this morning and shot, got a lot of shots and the sight lines are really good. I’ve been in some bigger domes as a fan, and it doesn’t seem like – it doesn’t seem as big,” Pearl said during Tuesday’s press conference. “So the guys are – the guys got lots of shots, and this should not be a factor. The rims are soft. I think the shooting percentages will be good.”
Quotes:
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