Had a chance to catch up with former Lions coach Steve Mariucci in Michigan State's locker room before practice Sunday at the Final Four. Now an analyst for the NFL Network, Mariucci said he's enjoying his enjoying new career but hasn't yet closed the book on coaching.

“Maybe,” he said when asked if he plans to coach again. “It's got to be the right time and the right place with the right people, and it's got to be right to do that. It's got to be a family decision. I got to have all my kids and my wife sign off on it.

“We vote. The opportunities that I've had, whether it be college or the pros the last couple, three years, I've had family votes. I go, What do we do, yes or no? No, no, no, no, no. My son's girlfriend's there. What do you think? No. So that's where I am with this whole thing.”

Mariucci, a Michigan native whose family's affinity for the west coast is well known, said he's had “a few” votes since he was fired as Lions coach during the 2005 season.

“I got unanimously voted down, so it's going to be that way,” he said. “And it just depends on circumstances. But in the meantime, I love what I'm doing. I get to do this (cheer on Michigan State in the Final Four). I get to go see my dad in Iron Mountain. I get to chase my kids around. I just came from daughter's volleyball tournament in Orange County, Calif. She's there and I'm coming here and going back to that. I get to do these things.

“I miss a lot of coaching, but not all of it. I don't miss all of it. I'm really happy.”

Mariucci also said he doesn't expect his best friend Tom Izzo to leave Michigan State after the Final Four. Some have speculated that Izzo could retire or pursue an NBA job this offseason. Izzo has said countless times this week that playing in a Final Four in his home state has been the best athletic experience of his life.

“It won't happen,” Mariucci said. “If he wins this one, in the home town, home state, it's not going to get much better than this, right? So from that standpoint, I could see (why people might be worried). But in his mind, he's got more to do. He never says this publicly but Tom is such a competitive guy, he wants his record and his body of work to show that he was one of the best coaches, and to do that he's got to keep doing it.”