Tom Izzo says he’s “had it” with Michigan State’s leadership turnover after President Kevin Guskiewicz left for Clemson and Athletic Director J. Batt departed for Kentucky in his first year. Speaking Monday, June 15, Izzo linked the instability to wider fallou
For Tom Izzo, the trouble at Michigan State isn’t abstract. It has a name, a departure date, and it’s followed him for weeks—starting with the president who walked away and now with the athletic director who bolted only a year into the job.
On Monday, June 15, Izzo vented his frustration about the university’s leadership changes, telling a reporter he can’t stand what’s been happening and that he’s “in the very near future” going to explain more—just not right now.
“This is self-inflicted,” Izzo said. “We just lost the best president to ever been here, maybe — one of the best. And there’s other dominoes that get affected when things go wrong like that. I’m very upset about it, and I’m sick of it.”
The sequence Izzo is pointing to began this summer, when Michigan State President Kevin Guskiewicz left the school. After citing what he described as an “unstable situation. ” Guskiewicz chose to become president at Clemson. taking an $800. 000 pay cut in the process. a move Izzo characterized as leaving MSU’s dysfunction behind.
Then came the latest shakeup. Michigan State athletic director J Batt left East Lansing after just one year, taking a job at Kentucky.
Izzo—who has been at Michigan State for 43 years—said he’s seen the impact of instability long enough to feel personally worn down by it. He didn’t hold back when he turned to the alumni base, insisting the moment calls for more than silence.
“I think 600,000 living alums better start rallying together,” Izzo said. “If there’s ever a time that we need to rally together, it’s now.”
He added: “That ain’t Tom Izzo. I’m not an alum… I’m a very invested stakeholder. But the alums better stand up. I’m asking the alums to stand up because what happened with our president is ridiculous. And he said it. We know the reasons. And I’m ashamed. I’m disgusted, hurt… Spartan Nation better stand up, all 600,000 of them.”.
The question behind Izzo’s anger is simple: when leadership changes come this quickly, who absorbs the damage first? In Izzo’s telling, it doesn’t stay in an executive suite.
The frustration is also tied to what Izzo believes was lost when Guskiewicz departed. Guskiewicz’s rationale—an “unstable situation”—was paired with the financial hit of leaving MSU for Clemson. Izzo argued that losing the president was only the start of the chain reaction.
Izzo is entering his 32nd year as Michigan State’s head coach, carrying a record of 764–310 (a .711 winning percentage). His resume with the Spartans includes 11 regular-season Big Ten titles, eight Final Four trips, and a national championship in 2000.
For now, Izzo isn’t done talking—he just says he’s not doing it yet. He told the reporter he will explain more “when I decide to say something in the near future. ” but for Monday. June 15. the message was blunt: he’s fed up. and he believes Michigan State’s leadership turnover has consequences that spread far beyond the people in charge.
Tom Izzo Michigan State Kevin Guskiewicz Clemson J Batt Kentucky Big Ten college basketball athletic director leadership changes Spartans
So Tom Izzo is mad they fired people or what? I’m confused, sounds like presidents just quit and that’s it.
I mean I get it, leadership turnover messes everything up, but at the same time… why are we acting like the coach is the only one allowed to be upset. Also Clemson?? like that’s the move.
Wait so the AD left after ONE year and that’s why they’re “dominoes” or whatever? That’s pretty typical in college sports though, people bounce around. Izzo says it’s self-inflicted but isn’t Clemson like… a pay upgrade?
The “600,000 living alums better start rallying together” part is wild. Like okay, send emails? But Michigan State leadership changes are probably not even the reason players mess up, it’s recruiting and NIL and all that. Still, if two big heads walked in a row, yeah I’d be annoyed too. Not sure what he means by “in the very near future explain more” though, sounds like drama.