Kevin Guskiewicz makes an about-face, will remain MSU’s president

Kevin Guskiewicz is staying at MSU as president after taking a similar job at Clemson University
His decision comes after MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo called on MSU alumni to “stand up”
Clemson University broke the news that Guskiewicz is staying at MSU for ‘personal reasons’

Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz knows he has his work cut out for him to rebuild trust after recently announcing he was leaving for another job — then revealing Monday that he’d decided to stay.

“I recognize that some members of our community may have questions about my commitment,” Guskiewicz wrote Monday as he announced that he planned to continue in his role as MSU’s president. “That is understandable. Our university has experienced more than its share of change in recent years, and I regret that my decision-making over the past several weeks added to that uncertainty.”

“Trust is not restored through words alone,” Guskiewicz continued. “It is earned through consistency, transparency and action. My commitment is to continue showing up every day with energy, humility and purpose — to listen carefully, engage openly and lead in a way that reflects the values of this university and the confidence you place in me.”

Guskiewicz made the comments after announcing less than six weeks ago that he was departing to become president of Clemson University after serving MSU for only 2.5 years. He changed his mind, he said, after “much thought, countless conversations and careful consideration …”

“When I came to Michigan State, I did so because I believed deeply in the promise of this university and in the people who make it exceptional. Over the past two years, that belief has only grown stronger,” Guskiewicz wrote.

Guskiewicz joined MSU in 2024, after the university had endured years of turbulence from numerous presidents who served and then departed or were asked to leave early, starting in 2018 at the height of the sex abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar.

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In his May departure message, Guskiewicz complained about “differing perspectives within the Board of Trustees regarding how best to move MSU forward.” Without naming any trustee, he said “too much energy has been spent revisiting past conflicts and internal disagreements rather than focusing collectively on the opportunities and aspirations ahead of us.”

On Monday, he said that he had “productive conversations … about the governance challenges I previously shared” with the board.

“The board has demonstrated a commitment to implementing a more robust governance structure, including recent improvements to the Code of Ethics and Conduct,” Guskiewicz said, referring to an expanded ethics policy the board adopted that some members portrayed as good governance but that others viewed as a quashing of free speech.

“I remain committed to working alongside every trustee and every member of our community who is focused on moving Michigan State forward,” he wrote.

In a statement, Board Chair Brianna Scott said she was thrilled that Guskiewicz was staying on as president.

“President Guskiewicz has been transformational for Michigan State University over the past two years, and we are pleased to confirm that he has decided to stay and continue to chart a course forward for our institution,” said Scott. “When he initially told me he was leaving, I asked him to consider rethinking his decision. I am so happy that he did! I always knew that his heart was with MSU.”

Most MSU trustees and public relations officials did not respond to numerous emails and calls.

“The past few weeks have been a time of reflection for everyone at MSU,” Trustee Dennis Denno said in a statement, “and President Guskiewicz’s decision is best for MSU.”

Judith Wilde, a George Mason University professor who studies public university presidents’ contracts, said that Guskiewicz must have had many long conversations with board members individually and as a board to have them agree to make changes.

“I hope it works, but people don’t change that quickly,” said Wilde. “It does leave a little bit of an elephant in the room. Is the change going to be enough? Is it going to happen quickly? How long will it last?”

Guskiewicz’s about-face comes after lobbying that included a doubling of his salary and efforts by MSU Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Izzo to “rally” Spartan Nation. Hundreds of signs popped up on campus with a message, “We ♥️Kevin G” and spilled into social media.

Guskiewicz announced his departure to become president at Clemson in late May, in spite of a $1 million raise that would have made his annual base salary $2 million.

At the time, Scott, the board chair, said that the raise was needed because he was being wooed by other universities.

He was offered a five-year contract at Clemson with a $1.2 million annual salary, Clemson officials said in May.

In a statement Monday, MSU said his salary would remain the same after staying.

Guskiewicz had launched numerous initiatives and played a role in the establishment of a for-profit corporation, Spartan Media Ventures, to elevate MSU’s sports brand and facilitate capital investment for student-athlete opportunities.

It became controversial among Denno, along with Trustees Mike Balow and Rema Vassar, who wanted more information.

Shortly after Guskiewicz announced his departure, the University of Kentucky last month hired MSU Athletic Director J Batt as its athletic director after less than one year at the Lansing school.

After the announcement, MSU Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Izzo told ESPN that he “can’t stand what’s going on … This is self-inflicted. We’ve just lost the best president that might have ever been here.”

Izzo called on 600,000 MSU alums, “to stand up because what happened with our president is ridiculous.”

“If there’s ever a time to rally together, it’s now,” Izzo said.

Two days later, MSU police went to the homes of trustees who got threats after their home addresses and phone numbers were posted on social media.

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