​EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University has weathered a potential leadership shakeup by keeping Kevin M. Guskiewicz at the helm and naming Jon Palumbo as interim athletic director. Guskiewicz announced Palumbo as his successor for the role of athletic director on Friday, soon after Batt accepted a position with Kentucky as athletic director. In connection with Batt’s departure, Michigan State will receive a negotiated buyout of $3.95 million.
When Batt decided to move on last month, Basketball Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo expressed disappointment that the school would lose him just as Guskiewicz revealed plans to leave for Clemson. Izzo urged the MSU community to step up, and their collective efforts materialized in a fundraising drive that secured a $500,000 raise for Guskiewicz, bringing his annual compensation to $1.5 million and extending his contract by five years.
Jon Palumbo, appointed interim athletic director, serves as the CEO of Spartan Ventures, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization created to provide financial backing for MSU’s athletic department. Palumbo first joined Batt when they collaborated at Georgia Tech, where Batt previously held the position of athletic director. “Jon has been an integral part of the innovation of MSU Athletics over the past year, and I have every confidence in his ability to maintain its positive trajectory as interim athletic director,” Guskiewicz stated. “This will be a seamless transition for MSU Athletics, and we look forward to a successful start of the upcoming season for our programs and student-athletes.”
Batt’s departure will be to succeeded by Mitch Barnhart, who has served as Kentucky’s athletic director since 2002, marking a transition that MSU will manage as it continues its season planning and program development. The school’s leadership changes come amid a broader effort to stabilize the university’s administrative and athletic departments while preserving momentum in MSU Athletics’ ongoing initiatives and competitive aims.