The Cavaliers had a press conference earlier today to introduce Chris Grant, the team's new general manager. Just a few days ago you would have thought that every question directed towards Grant would have something to do with LeBron James, but Tom Izzo was the hot topic instead. Questions about LeBron were obviously asked, but the major focus seemed to be on what exactly is going on with the Cavs and Izzo.
General manager Chris Grant admitted Tuesday the Cavaliers have been talking to Michigan State's Tom Izzo about becoming the team's next coach.
"We know things are out there, we've had conversations with his camp," Grant said. "This is part of the final process, but until we have a conclusion, there's nothing we can say."
When pressed about if an offer has been made to Izzo or if he's the top candidate out there, Grant said this:
"We're not gonna get into specifics," Grant said. "It could be assistant coaches, college coaches."
Grant wouldn't get into the specifics of who the candidates for the job are, but he did give a description of what kind of coach the Cavs wants to hire.
"We want someone that's a winner, a defensive-minded coach," Grant said. "Someone to win at the highest level. We also want an effective communicator and a strong leader."
It certainly sounds like Izzo is a perfect fit based on that description. The only thing missing is NBA experience, but for someone like Izzo, who knows if the Cavs would be that concerned with the fact that he has only been a head coach in college. If the reported offer that the Cavs are prepared to give Izzo is any indication, it doesn't appear that the lack of NBA experience is a concern at all.