Why Batt, Guskiewicz Leaving Doesn't Impact Izzo's Future at MSU
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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Tom Izzo has been through tougher times than this.
Michigan State's head coach has been in East Lansing as an assistant or head coach since 1983. He's seen 11 different people serve as president at MSU, whether that's in a permanent, interim, or acting capacity. There have also been 10 different athletic directors and eight permanent head football coaches, including Pat Fitzgerald.
The Lone Constant
There have been heinous scandals and other events that have stained Michigan State's reputation that have occurred since Izzo became a Spartan. Izzo's legacy at MSU has long been cemented, yet he's still around.
"Like Jud [Heathcote] told me, 'You'll never be bigger than the program,'" Izzo said on Monday. "There'll be no president, trustee, AD, or basketball coach bigger than the university. I've always looked at my goal, and you guys know this... I don't just care about basketball; I don't just care about athletics; I care about this university."
"That's what we're supposed to do, I thought. That's been challenged a little bit."
The school is in crisis mode right now. President Kevin Guskiewicz is headed to Clemson for significantly less money than he could be making at Michigan State. Athletic director J Batt is now headed to Kentucky.
How We Got Here
All of this administrative drama stems from friction between Guskiewicz and the Board of Trustees. Guskiewicz and Batt had teamed up to create Spartan Ventures, an affiliated nonprofit company meant to maximize revenue for the athletic department and remove some of the red tape that comes with higher education.
The creation of the initiative passed, 5-3, with trustees Michael Balow, Rema Vassar, and Dennis Denno going against it. There were objections about the lack of transparency. Spartan Ventures won't be subject to FOIA laws, as it is not technically a government entity, and the university was reportedly asking trustees to sign non-disclosure agreements before showing them documents.
Justified or not, the BoT was placing obstacles that made it more difficult for Guskiewicz and Batt to advance their vision for Michigan State athletics. There were enough obstacles that worries about Guskiewicz's future emerged in mid-to-late May.
The Board of Trustees approved a revision to the ethics code intended to limit public dissent against the university's direction. This was with another 5-3 vote; the same three trustees who voted against the creation of Spartan Ventures voted against the ethics code change. This move also increased Guskiewicz's salary to $2 million.
That wasn't enough to keep Guskiewicz. His move to Clemson was announced about a week later. This exposed MSU to losing Batt. His boss, whom he seemed to be in lockstep with, was now gone. That means uncertainty.
The best way to remove uncertainty is to get another fresh start elsewhere. Kentucky has its own version of Spartan Ventures, "Champions Blue," in place, and the Wildcats have a permanent president. It's hard to blame Batt for taking the opportunity.
Outlook for Izzo
I just don't get the feeling that Izzo is going to allow an athletic director who was at Michigan State for one year and a president, even one he loved, who was at MSU for two years, to be the reasons why he retires.
This is partially because Izzo is basically Michigan State University. If one were to go around the country and ask people about the one person they associate with MSU the most, Izzo would probably be the most popular answer.
This gives Izzo a level of freedom that nearly no other coach gets. No administrator wants to be the one to drive Izzo into retirement, so Izzo's program continues to truly be Izzo's program. I don't see an interim AD or president changing that.
This also means Izzo's word carries a ton of weight. His anger at this point seems to be largely directed at the Board of Trustees. Izzo didn't call them out specifically on Monday, but there is only one group of people Izzo can really ask alumni to "stand up" to.
"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, and that's all 600,000. I mean, Tom Izzo, I'm not an alum. I'm like [mega-donor] Greg Williams or maybe a football coach. I'm a very invested stakeholder."
"But the alums better stand up. That's what I'm saying. So I'm going to ask the alums to stand up, because what happened with our president is ridiculous. And he said it. We know the reasons. I'm ashamed, disgusted, and hurt."
Izzo is going to retire when he's done coaching. The hires of the president and athletic director don't really affect him that much beyond the type of NIL support he gets. That's been good enough to win the Big Ten two years ago and potentially be a national title this coming season.
"I've been without a lot of people," Izzo said. "You know what? I'm still standing. Still winning."
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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