Alumni Department Visits MSU, Attends Tom Izzo Show

 

On March 1, Dennis Koch, '94, and the De La Salle Collegiate Alumni Relations Department had the opportunity to visit with 30 alumni and current Michigan State students.  

The night, which was conceptualized by Dominic Carbone, '68, allowed De La Salle to reconnect with a number of young alums who were impacted by the tragic shooting on campus in mid-February. It was a pleasure for Koch to catch up with former Pilots students who have since become proud Spartans. 

As Koch expressed, “The idea behind the event was to stay in touch with our current Spartans, and to maintain and improve relationships with our young alumni. In the aftermath of the horrible event that occurred recently at Michigan State, visiting these alums was the least we could have done. I think it was a highly rewarding night for both our school and our alumni. It is important for these alumni to know how much we, as the De La Salle community, care.” 

De La Salle continues to send its thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the aforementioned tragedy at Michigan State. 

Also, DLS wants to thank Spartans men's basketball Coach Tom Izzo for taking time out of his weekly radio show to visit and share a few words with the school’s young alumni. The alumni who were gathered thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to meet Izzo, who showed nothing but class toward De La Salle. 

In addition, during the “Tom Izzo Radio Show,” the show’s moderator, Will Tieman, gave De La Salle a shout-out, and provided Izzo with time to reflect on his many connections with the Pilots. 

Izzo referenced coaching De La Salle Athletic Hall of Famer Mike Peplowski, a class of 1988 graduate. Izzo, then an assistant on Jud Heathcote’s Spartans coaching staff, was heavily involved in recruiting Peplowski.

During the segment, Izzo also touched upon his fondness for past Pilots basketball coaches Gary Buslepp and Greg Esler. 

 
De La Salle also extends its gratitude to two other individuals for making the Michigan State visit a rewarding experience: Terence Brown and Jack Ebling. 

Brown serves as the assistant director of admissions at Michigan State, and as the university’s liaison to De La Salle, has assisted in bringing many former Pilots to East Lansing. 
 
Meanwhile, Ebling, a longtime sports writer and sports talk show host, played some Spartans-based trivia with the DLS alumni. He also gave out signed copies of his book, "The Perfect:10,” to a few lucky alums. 

Koch added, “We look forward to continuously engaging with our alumni who currently attend Michigan State. This certainly won’t be our last visit to East Lansing.” 

All of De La Salle right now – regardless of one’s rooting interests – is “Spartan Strong.”  

If you'd like De La Salle to visit your college or university, please email Dennis Koch at dkoch@delasallehs.com.

Alumni Department Visits MSU, Attends Tom Izzo Show
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