Michigan State coach Tom Izzo came under fire after he needed to be restrained while berating one of his players

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Tom Izzo got in the face of Aaron Henry after a rough stretch during Michigan State's first-round win over Bradley.

• Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo came under fire after berating freshman forward Aaron Henry on Thursday.
• Izzo's outburst came during a timeout, with the Spartans coach eventually being restrained by his other players as he got in Henry's face.
• Izzo later attempted to justify his outburst to reporters by saying people should be held accountable.

Michigan State won its opening game of the 2019 NCAA tournament on Thursday against Bradley, but not without a bit of controversy befalling the Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.

No. 2 Michigan State was supposed to have an easy time knocking off their 15-seed opponent, but Bradley held tough through the opening of the game, and even took a 1-point lead into halftime over the Spartans.

Izzo was visibly furious with his team, and specifically, freshman forward Aaron Henry. Heading into a timeout, Izzo got in the freshman's face while yelling. Later, Izzo was held back by another one of his players. Then, while the team was huddled, Izzo again went berserk at Henry, with multiple players jumping to hold him back.

You can watch video of the incident below.

After the game, Izzo defended his actions, saying "I did get after him. And he did respond. And he did make a couple of big buckets."

Izzo then turned the question around on a reporter who asked about his screaming outburst.

"I get a kick out of you guys," Izzo said. "Get after somebody because you're trying to hold them accountable. I don't know what kind of business you're in, but I tell you what, if I was a head of a newspaper, and you didn't do your job, you'd be held accountable."

On Twitter, people were quick to criticize Izzo, both for his initial tirade against Henry, and his attempt as justifying it to the press.

People also brought the outburst back to the issue of paying players, emphasizing how Izzo framed his argument around having a job.

Izzo has been the head coach of Michigan State basketball since 1995, and coached the team to the Final Four seven times during his tenure with the Spartans. His intensity is nothing new, but the perception around such actions has shifted in recent years.

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