Legacy Beyond the Hardwood: Meet Tom Izzo’s Children — Raquel “Rocky” Izzo McDonald and Steven Mateen Izzo
East Lansing, MI – June 26, 2025
For more than 20 years, Tom Izzo has been the face of Michigan State basketball, a titan of college coaching with Final Fours, Big Ten titles, and a national championship under his belt. But if you ask him what he’s most proud of, he won’t point to banners or trophies. He’ll tell you about his kids — Raquel “Rocky” Izzo McDonald and Steven Mateen Izzo.
“To coach champions is an honor,” Izzo once said. “But raising good human beings — that’s the greatest victory of all.”
Raquel “Rocky” Izzo McDonald: The Relentless Advocate
The eldest of the Izzo children, Raquel — affectionately called “Rocky” by family and friends — has forged her own path far from the sidelines of the Breslin Center. A graduate of Michigan State and Columbia Law School, Rocky is now a prominent civil rights attorney based in Chicago, where she leads a nonprofit legal coalition focused on youth justice reform.
Growing up in East Lansing, Rocky was often found courtside, absorbing the energy of March Madness while sketching notes for her debate team. But her real passion developed through watching her father interact with players — particularly how he mentored young men from challenging backgrounds.
“Dad didn’t just coach,” Rocky said in a recent interview. “He invested in lives. That’s the model I followed — except my court is a courtroom.”
Married to pediatric surgeon Dr. Adrian McDonald and mother to 2-year-old twins, Rocky returns to East Lansing regularly, often speaking at youth empowerment events hosted by the university and Izzo Legacy Foundation.
Steven Mateen Izzo: The Heart of the Locker Room
Steven Mateen Izzo — named after Tom’s longtime friend and MSU legend Mateen Cleaves — walked onto the Michigan State basketball team in 2019. While he didn’t see much playing time during his college career, his impact on the team was immeasurable.
Nicknamed “Coach Jr.” by teammates, Steven earned a reputation as a relentless worker, vocal leader, and emotional anchor. He graduated in 2024 with a degree in sports psychology and now serves as a player development assistant for the Spartans, working closely alongside his father.
“Steven was never about stats,” Izzo said. “He was about heart, hustle, and lifting the people around him. That’s what leadership looks like.”
The father-son dynamic on the bench was never about nepotism; it was about shared passion. Players speak fondly of Steven’s presence in the locker room — his quiet encouragement during slumps, his fire during practices, and his emotional speeches before rivalry games.
Now, as a coach in training, Steven is exploring a future that may one day extend the Izzo legacy into another generation of Spartan basketball.
Legacy in Motion
For Tom Izzo, who has dedicated much of his life to shaping young men into leaders, seeing his own children rise with compassion, grit, and conviction is more meaningful than any championship ring.
“Rocky and Steven are proof that you don’t need a scoreboard to define success,” he said. “You just need purpose — and the courage to live by it.”
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