Byron Scott, Not Tom Izzo, Interviews For Cavs' Coaching Job

Rumors continue to point towards Tom Izzo leaving Michigan State to coach the Cavs, but the team interviewed someone else for coaching vacancy on Thursday: Byron Scott.

The former Nets and Hornets coach had been mentioned as a late contender for the job, reportedly on par with Izzo, earlier on Thursday, and an interview was expected to happen before the end of the weekend. Those plans were apparently accelerated, however, as Scott's agent told Sam Amick of FanHouse that Scott had an hour-long phone interview with Cavs GM Chris Grant on Thursday.

Scott is certainly a proven NBA commodity, having twice shepherded the Nets to the Finals and taking home the Coach of the Year award in 2008, but as a retread he doesn't command any of the WOW factor that Izzo would. Still, he's a decent back-up plan, and by interviewing him now, the Cavs put pressure on Izzo to make a decision now, rather than mulling things over and potentially lose some of the momentum seemingly pushing him towards leaving the Spartans.