What does it take to raise one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time? If anyone truly has the answer to this question, it would be Tom Izzo’s parents, Carl Izzo and Dorothy Izzo, because they’ve actually raised one. 

In about 31 years in charge, Tom Izzo has led Michigan State to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Final Fours, and one national championship. But before any of that, he was a kid working in his father’s shoe repair shop in Iron Mountain, Michigan, learning the value of hard work one sole at a time.

Who Was Tom Izzo’s Father Carl Izzo?

Tom Izzo’s father was the late Carl Amedio Izzo. He was a longtime resident of Iron Mountain, Michigan, the same small Upper Peninsula city where Tom was born and raised. 

Carl spent his career working at Tony Izzo & Sons, a family business that specialized in shoe repair, carpet installation, and awnings. It was not a glamorous profession, but it was an honest one, and it left a lasting imprint on Tom, who worked alongside him from sixth grade all the way through his sophomore year at Northern Michigan University.

Carl would eventually retire from the family business in 2001 and, alongside his wife, Dorothy, moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, to spend his retirement years. He eventually passed away on December 28, 2015, at the age of 90, just months before Tom Izzo was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Who Was Tom Izzo’s Mother Dorothy Izzo?

Dorothy J. Izzo is the mother of Tom Izzo and, at 99 years old, she’s one of college basketball’s most beloved personalities. She has been a fixture at significant Michigan State games throughout her son’s career, often seen sharing heartfelt moments with Tom in the locker room or on the court following big wins. She has even become something of a social media sensation, to the point that an AI-generated artwork of her on the basketball court was circulating and shared by Tom’s son, Steven Izzo. 

While there are few public records regarding a specific formal career, Dorothy Izzo is primarily described as a dedicated homemaker who focused on raising her three children and supporting the family business in Iron Mountain. 

Does Tom Izzo Have Siblings? 

Tom Izzo is not an only child. He grew up in Iron Mountain alongside two sisters, Anne Levandoski and Mary Bucklin. Neither Anne nor Mary has sought the public spotlight the way their brother’s career has thrust him into it.

Mary Bucklin, based in Marietta, Georgia, is the mother of Matt Bucklin, who served as the operations coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs basketball team. Interestingly, this led to a famous “family feud” in 2015, when Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans faced his nephew’s Georgia team in the NCAA tournament.

Anne Levandoski, on the other hand, resides in Appleton, Wisconsin, where their parents eventually retired. She is the mother of Kevin Levandoski. Kevin played for St. Cloud State, and in 2014, his team played an exhibition game against his uncle Tom’s Spartans at the Breslin Center. That did not cause too much of a feud.

What Is Tom Izzo’s Parents Ethnicity and Nationality?

Both Carl and Dorothy Izzo are Americans, born and raised in the United States. The family’s roots are firmly planted in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, specifically Iron Mountain. In terms of ethnicity, the Izzo family is of Italian-American heritage, as reflected in the family surname. 

How Did Tom Izzo’s Parents Influence His Coaching Career?

The fingerprints of Carl and Dorothy Izzo are all over Tom’s coaching career. Working alongside his father taught Tom something no coaching school could ever replicate: the value of showing up, doing the work, and taking pride in a job well done, regardless of whether anyone is watching. 

That blue-collar ethos is the bedrock of Michigan State basketball under Izzo. His teams don’t rely on flash or individual brilliance. Instead, they emphasize toughness, accountability, and a willingness to do the unglamorous things that win games in March.

Dorothy’s influence, meanwhile, has been less about the work and more about the heart. Her consistent presence at games throughout Tom’s career speaks to a family culture in which showing up for the people you love is simply non-negotiable. 

That same culture is visible in the way Tom coaches his players. As he once said about his players, “Those are my kids… and I would treat them just like I treat my own son.” So while his father Carl is long gone, and he’s no longer at the shoe shop, everything it taught is still very much present, on the sideline at the Breslin Center, and in every decision Tom Izzo makes as a coach and as a man.