Izzo tells students to 'dream big'

April 20th, 2012
Michigan State coach visits Upstate

Mauldin Middle School student Austin McNulty aspires to be a defensive back in the National Football League.

He had doubts about whether his dream was too big -- until Thursday night, when Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo spoke at the Coaches 4 Character Program at Redemption World Outreach Center. 

Izzo recalled the big dreams he once shared with his childhood friend, Steve Mariucci. Izzo said like many young men in their hometown of Iron Mountain, Mich., their lives would have been relegated to mining had they not passionately pursued those dreams. 

They both attended Northern Michigan University. Izzo joined the basketball team, Mariucci played football. After their playing careers, they both began coaching. 

Through a painstaking, dues-playing process, Izzo became the head coach at Michigan State, and Mariuci became a head coach in the NFL. 

"Everybody at home would say 'Boy you're lucky. You're on TV. You make a lot of money," Izzo said, "but none of our friends would sacrifice to do the things we did to get where we got."

"I had no chance to be the head coach at Michigan State University. He had less chance to be the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and then the Detroit Lions. But every night we talked about being a coach. That's what our dream was."

​As Izzo detailed the steps of his career, McNulty saw patterns of persistence that could help his reach his own dream.
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"It's just knowing to dream big and don't give up, no matter what," said McNulty, who along with classmate Anieke Papenhuyzen, received The Greenville News Coaches 4 Character Award. 

"I want to be a football player, " McNulty said. "Even though I have people everyday saying that it's not going to happen and I should focus on other stuff, hearing that I should keep  my dream meant a lot to me."

Papenhuyzen has big dreams as well. She would like to become a biological anthropologist. 

"This gave me a lot of encouragement," she said. "because it just shows if you have the dedication and the willingness and you put in the effort, you will get to where you want to be." 

"I get to do things I never dreamed of doing," Izzo said. "I get to be around people I never though I'd be around. It's only because I worked to achieve my dream, but if you don't dream, you're not going to achieve it."

By: Mandrallius Robinson -- Greenville Online