Detroit ― Michigan State head men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo did Mark Montgomery a solid by putting Detroit Mercy back on the schedule. It was the latest in a long line of solids from Izzo to Montgomery.
“Everyone knows I look up to Izzo. He’s done a lot for me,” Montgomery, in his second season as Detroit Mercy’s head coach, said earlier this week. “I owe Coach Izzo a lot. So, I’m indebted.
“I owe a lot to Coach Izzo.”
No. 17 Michigan State (4-0) and Detroit Mercy (1-4) will restart the long rivalry Friday night at Breslin Center, the first time the programs have met since 2020 ― and even that game was only a product of necessity, given the COVID restrictions placed on teams.
Before that, MSU and Detroit Mercy, who first played in 1917, hadn’t played since 2001.
But the series is back, thanks to the close connection between Izzo, Michigan State’s Hall-of-Fame coach, and Montgomery, who spent two stints as an assistant to Izzo at MSU, which also is Montgomery’s alma mater.
Montgomery, 55, first was on Izzo’s staff from 2002-11, before he got his first head coaching job, at Northern Illinois. He was at Northern Illinois from 2011 until his firing in 2021. After he lost his job, he spent several weeks on staff at Detroit Mercy, before Izzo, 70, hired him back at Michigan State.
Montgomery was on staff from 2021-24, before he got his second head coaching job at Detroit Mercy, thanks, in large part, to a major endorsement from Izzo.
“It resurrected my career,” Montgomery said of his second stint at Michigan State. “You know, when you unfortunately get let go and you have to start over … a lot of times you don’t get a second chance.
“But he welcomed me back, and then he got me to this next opportunity.”
The Izzo coaching tree extends all over the state of Michigan, including at Detroit Mercy (Izzo was an assistant at MSU when Montgomery played for the Spartans), Western Michigan (DJ Stephens) and Eastern Michigan (Stan Heath).
One of Izzo’s best friends, Greg Kampe, also is the longtime head coach at Oakland.
The Michigan State-Oakland rivalry has been going strong for nearly three decades, and continues Dec. 20 at Little Caesars Arena. But Izzo’s ties to Detroit Mercy weren’t very strong for many years. Under Izzo, Michigan State has played Detroit Mercy just five times, and four of those were from 1995-2001.
Detroit Mercy actually beat Michigan State in each of Izzo’s first three seasons, including an 86-84 triple-overtime thriller at Calihan Hall in 1996.
There are discussions about Michigan State returning to Calihan Hall next season for the first time since that 1996 game. That’s a topic for another day. Montgomery is just happy Michigan State is back on the Titans’ schedule, anywhere. This will be the 63rd meeting between the schools.
Michigan State is coming off an 83-66 win over Kentucky at Madison Square Garden, the Spartans’ second win over a ranked opponent this season (Arkansas). Detroit Mercy is coming off a 72-62 loss to Eastern Michigan at Calihan Hall, where the Titans led by 13 in the second half before falling Tuesday night. Montgomery still is encouraged by his Titans, led by point guards Orlando Lovejoy (senior) and Lance Stone (freshman).
“I always say, when coaches get fired, it’s not that you’re not a good coach. You just have to start fresh, maybe step into new ideas,” said Montgomery, whose Titans were 8-24 last season. “The second time around, you know, it’s no easier. I started a rebuilding stage when I was at Northern Illinois, and I’m rebuilding here, and it’s a process.
“But I always say one thing I learned from Coach Izzo is you’ve gotta roll up your sleeves every single day and take ownership in every aspect of your program, and then you can be successful.”
After Michigan State on Friday, Detroit Mercy plays at DePaul on Sunday.
Detroit Mercy at No. 17 Michigan State
➤ Tip-off: 6:30 Friday, Breslin Center, East Lansing
➤ TV/radio: BTN/760
➤ Records: Detroit Mercy 1-4; Michigan State 4-0
➤ Series: Michigan State leads, 46-16 (last: MSU, 83-76, on Dec. 4, 2020)
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
