EAST LANSING, Mich. — Stop me if you've heard this one before — the Michigan State Spartans had a magical run in this year's NCAA tournament.
That's no surprise.
As a 7-seed, the team beat the USC Trojans and Marquette Golden Eagles to reach the Sweet 16 for the 21st time. Tom Izzo made history in the process, becoming the only head coach in NCAA history to have 25 straight tournament appearances.
There's a reason Izzo's nickname is Mr. March. Although, he might prefer something else.
"I like what the nickname means, but I think some people think that means I only work in March," Izzo joked. "They think I take November, December, January and February off. I'd rather be known as Mr. All Year. Mr. Consistency.”
Whatever you want to call him, you can agree — what he's been able to accomplish is nothing short of spectacular.
Sure, the Spartans have gone further than the Sweet 16 plenty of times. Actually, 10 times in program history, to be exact. Two of which turned into National Championships.
Still, this year's run was special — but for a much different reason.
The Spartans' first-round game came just 32 days after the mass shooting on campus that killed three students and injured five others.
Tom Izzo thought back to the night of February 13.
“The first thing (I remember) is the alerts came out. The second thing is, 'Where's my kid?' The third thing is, 'Where's my players?' That sounds selfish, but, I mean, that's what goes through your mind," he said. "Then, as my staff got ahold of my players, my kid called. His girlfriend was actually in the building, kind of locked into a bathroom. It kind of hit home even more, you know.”
Izzo continued, "Then the reality set that somebody's son and daughter — they're not going to get to talk to. That was a hard, hard moment. The next day was a tough day, because no matter what you did, you said to yourself, 'Well, my kid's okay, but somebody else's kid'...So you wear your coach hat. Then you wear your dad hat. Sometimes the two hats don't meet.”
Two days after the tragedy, MSU held a candlelight vigil on campus. Tom Izzo stepped up to the microphone to deliver a powerful message to the sea of emotional students and staff.
During his speech, Izzo wanted people to understand that, while it's so easy to only consider the bad in the world, we must also consider the good.
He elaborated on that Tuesday.
"My message there was more about, 'We've got to stick together.' Unfortunately, in life, you are always moving forward. Whether I die, or you die, or somebody that we really care about dies, the world doesn't stop rotating. We've got to find a way for this to quit happening on more of a regular basis. We've got to help each other through this.”
Izzo said it's hard to truly know how much the mass shooting may have fueled the team's run in March, but he knows the power sports can have when trying to help heal a hurting community.
The Spartans' first basketball game after the shooting was against the University of Michigan, just five days later. Before that game, Izzo addressed his team in the locker room.
"'This year, we're playing for something a little bigger,'" he said.
"It didn't take away from the loss of the three individuals, but I know one of the guys in the hospital was a huge Spartans fan," Izzo told FOX 17. "I know it meant a lot to him. I just think it was part of the healing process.”
For Izzo, the healing process began at his house. He invited all of his players over because they weren't allowed back on campus for a couple days after the shooting.
“I told my guys....I don't know what to say to you. I've never been through this," he said. "The sad part is — they might know what to say to their kids, because they have been through this. That bothers me a lot.”
For several others in the Spartan community, the healing process began by putting messages on the Rock — a boulder on campus that serves as a makeshift billboard.
A few different messages were painted onto the Rock after the shooting, like "How Many More?" and "#SpartanStrong."
Izzo was asked what message he would want to add.
He thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"Respect," he said. "Respect your fellow students, respect your fellow Michiganders, respect your fellow people in your country and respect the people in the world. No matter who you are, or what you are, I hope we get to the point where we're all human beings first.”
Respect was also one of the motivating factors for Izzo and his family when creating the Izzo Legacy 5K Run/Walk/Roll. It's an event typically held on the morning of the Spartan Spring Football Game, as is the case this year.
The course runs through the city of East Lansing and the MSU campus.
Since its inception, the event has raised almost $400,000 for local charities.
"My wife and daughter and the volunteers did the job. I show up and it's game-time," Izzo said. "Unfortunately, I get too much credit. Although, during the year, I get too much blame sometimes. So, I guess it balances out."
The Izzo Legacy 5K is happening Saturday, April 15. This year, the event will support 13 charities in the local area. You can find all the details here.
Watch our full interview with Izzo below: