B1G Dance Contest! Tom Izzo (Michigan State) vs. Bo Ryan (Wisconsin)

            There is no doubt that the Big Ten has some great basketball coaches, but between them who has the best moves off the court? Michigan State coach Tom Izzo became an off-court sensation over the last couple of days thanks to a local commercial he filmed for a ladder company during which he dances at the top of a ladder in order to demonstrate all the room at the summit. A few years ago, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, for reasons I am not quite sure of but fully support, filmed a choreographed video of him dancing to the short lived hit “Crank That” by Soulja Boy. Two legendary coaches, two fantastic videos, but only one can be named the Big Ten’s Best Dancing Coach. So which coach has the better moves? Let’s break down the videos.

 Tom Izzo dances during local ladder commercial:

Bo Ryan dances to “Crank That” by Soulja Boy:

The Categories:

Location: Which coach used his dance floor the best?

IZZO – The top of a ladder is not very conducive for busting a move. Like dancing in a phone booth, there is only so much you can do. Izzo is severely limited by the lack of space.

RYAN – Standing in the middle of your practice court to break it down means you have a lot of room to work with, so you better use it. Ryan takes advantage of his free space using both his legs and arms.

Winner: RYAN

Attire: Sometimes outfits speak louder than words.

IZZO – The all out sweat-suit makes it look like he is a power walker at the mall, but the sunglasses add a certain mystery man quality that it tough to beat.

RYAN – The khakis are a little tough to swallow. Some Wisconsin shorts would have brought it home for Ryan. Show off those legs Bo!

Winner: IZZO

Visual Effects/Editing: Sometimes the dancer needs help accentuated his strengths from the guys behind the camera.

IZZO – Not many visual effects used, but the close-ups of both Coach Izzo’s feet let you get a good look at the twinkle toes displayed. You also getting to view the whole kit and caboodle with some nice establishing shots.

RYAN – Brilliant decision using the glow around all of the white in the video. Not only is he a divine basketball coach, the glow makes him look like a deity of dancing. The angles are also spectacular. The close-ups, low angles, and other creative shots not only give you multiple viewpoints, but also helps show just how much fun Coach Ryan is having.

Winner: RYAN

Lower Half Movement: Movement of the feet/legs/hips.

IZZO – Izzo has it tough here because of his limited space. He uses it the best he can with his walking in place and moving in circles. The hip shaking is phenomenal, but is it enough to make up for the lack of foot space.

RYAN – Surprisingly light on his feet, Ryan pulls out all the stops: Crip walk, a little electric slide “crisscross” action, and a cotton eyed joe/riverdance move that brings up memories of Chad Ochocinco (or did he change it back to Johnson?). He even gets in the two-feet backwards shuffle towards the end.

Winner: RYAN

Upper Half Movement: Movement of the torso/hands/arms.

IZZO – The lack of lower half mobility from Izzo is more than made up for on top. The arm movements are the centerpiece of this video and brings to mind those 6^th grade socials where you were dancing with a girl and were not really sure where to put your arms, memories that may be painfully embarrassing to some but Izzo embraces it.

RYAN – Ever moving and ever changing style, Ryan makes sure his hands and arms keep up with his legs, not an easy task. Opening with some simple snapping, Ryan takes it up a notch on each move as he finishes it up with a spread eagle and some excellent wrist motion. He is also unafraid to puff his chest out to display his dominance.

Winner: RYAN

The Finish: It’s not about how you start, but how you end.

IZZO – Arms crossed over his chest, slight turn away from the camera, Izzo leaves you with a lasting impression that will burn into your retinas.

RYAN – Maybe the one weak link in Ryan’s video. Clapping into the camera is so un-Soulja Boy. Ryan breaks it down for 30 seconds but that last second where he claps into the camera leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Winner: IZZO

Your B1G Coaches Dance Contest Champion:

BO RYAN!

Both coaches put up a good fight with a couple of outstanding dance videos, but in the end Bo Ryan’s dancing diversity and fluid movements makes him the only choice.

Both coaches danced their heart out and should be applauded for their lightheartedness, not to mention the incredible coaching jobs they have done at their respective schools. To give credit to both coaches, here are their extraordinary coaching resumes:

Coach Tom Izzo:

19^th Season as Head Coach Michigan State

1 NCAA Tournament Division I National Championship (2000)

NCAA Tournament Finalist (2009)

6 Final Fours (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010)

7 Big Ten Regular Season Titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2012)

3 Big Ten Tournament Titles (1999, 2000, 2012)

461 Career Division I Wins (all with Michigan State)

16 Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances (still active)

3 Big Ten Coach of the Year Awards (1998, 2009, 2012)

1 National Coach of the Year Award (1998)

Coach Bo Ryan:

13^th Season as Head Coach of Wisconsin

344 Career Division I Career Wins (30 at UW-Milwaukee, 314 at UW-Madison)

353 Career Division III Wins (all with UW-Platteville)

4 NCAA Tournament Division III National Championships (1991, 1995, 1998, 1999 with University of Wisconsin-Platteville)

12 Straight Years Finishing Top-4 in Big Ten Regular Season (still active)
3 Big Ten Coach of the Year Awards (2002, 2003, 2013)

3 Big Ten Regular Season Titles (2002, 2003, 2008)

2 Big Ten Tournament Titles (2004, 2008)

The Big Ten’s Best Dancing Coach

Let’s just call the whole thing a draw.