College Hoops Coaches Tom Izzo, Matt Kempe Channel Holiday Spirit With Coordinated Ugly Christmas Sweaters
The two coaches have kept this tradition up for four years.
One of the greatest traditions in college basketball was renewed on Saturday afternoon.
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo and Oakland Grizzlies coach Greg Kempe have a great friendship. How do I know this? Each time the schools face off, they let their fun sides show through their attire of choice.
(Yes, Izzo has a fun side. Crazy, I know).
With the Christmas season around, the two decided to wear coordinated ugly Christmas sweaters. And man are they funny.
That's peak friendship.
Izzo’s reads "Naughty" and depicts him arguing with a referee (seems pretty accurate). Kempe’s reads "Nice."
The tradition goes back four years to when Kempe challenged Izzo to lean into the bit and, and each year he has delivered.
While that’s fun for both guys, the rivalry has not been fun for Kempe. Oakland has yet to beat Michigan State in 23 all-time meetings. That streak will continue for at least one more year, as the Spartans took today’s edition 79-70.
DETROIT - Kur Teng #2 of the Michigan State Spartans goes to the basket against Khoi Thurmon #21 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on December 20, 2025. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
But Izzo said earlier this week that he could see that ending sometime soon.
"You start asking yourself when," the MSU coach said a couple days ago after Thursday's practice. "How many times do you beat a team in a row that’s well-coached and a damn good team?"
For now, Izzo will probably remain on Kempe’s naughty list until he can finally get a win.