Tom Izzo Has ‘Had It’, Calls on Spartan Nation to Stand Up After Major Departures

For decades, Tom Izzo has been one of Michigan State University’s most loyal and respected voices.

On Monday, however, the Hall of Fame basketball coach made it clear that his frustration has reached a boiling point.

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Following the departures of university president Kevin Guskiewicz and athletic director J Batt, Izzo delivered some of his strongest public comments in years, calling on Spartan Nation to rally together amid what he views as growing instability within the university’s leadership.

Tom Izzo Michigan State leadership

Izzo Doesn’t Hold Back

In a video shared by the Detroit Free Press, Izzo expressed deep disappointment with what has unfolded in East Lansing.

“I’m a very invested stakeholder, but the alums better stand up,” Izzo said. “What happened with our president is ridiculous, he said it, we know the reasons and I’m ashamed, disgusted, hurt.”

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Those remarks came just days after Guskiewicz accepted the presidency at Clemson University. While announcing his departure, Guskiewicz pointed to divisions within Michigan State’s Board of Trustees, describing the environment as an “unsustainable situation.”

For Izzo, the loss is a significant one.

“We just lost one of the best presidents that has ever been here,” Izzo said. “There are other dominoes that could effect it when things go wrong like that.”

Another Major Departure

As if losing the university president wasn’t enough, Michigan State was dealt another blow when Batt accepted the athletic director position at the University of Kentucky.

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Batt’s departure comes after just one year in East Lansing. He was widely viewed as one of the rising stars in college athletics and had been praised for his fundraising ability and vision for the athletic department.

According to Izzo, these departures are not simply bad luck.

He described them as “self inflicted.”

That statement alone speaks volumes about how the longtime coach views the current situation.

Calling…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tom-izzo-had-calls-spartan-175455686.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-15 17:54:00

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