Tom Izzo seeking solution to Michigan State leadership turmoil - ESPN

Longtime Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo said he is «disgusted» by the on-campus turmoil that led to the departures of the school's president and athletic director, and he is challenging the alumni base to do something about it.

Izzo, speaking to reporters Monday, said the departure of president Kevin Guskiewicz to Clemson after two years is «ridiculous» and was fueled by clashes and unrest within the board of trustees. Two weeks after Guskiewicz's departure, Michigan State athletic director J Batt left Monday for the same role at Kentucky after only a year in East Lansing.

«There's other dominos that get affected when things go wrong like that,» Izzo said. «I'm very upset about it, and I'm sick of it.»

Izzo has led the Michigan State men's basketball team since 1995, following 12 years as a Spartans assistant, and won a national title in 2000. He called Guskiewicz «the best president that's ever been here, maybe» and said that his departure stems from what Izzo described as «self-inflicted» problems.

In a letter to the Michigan State community last month following his selection at Clemson, Guskiewicz mentioned an «unsustainable situation» created by differing perspectives among board members, some of whom have criticized major initiatives such as Spartan Ventures, the independent corporation Batt established to boost athletic revenue.

«At times, too much energy has been spent revisiting past conflicts and internal disagreements rather than focusing collectively on the opportunities and aspirations ahead of us,» Guskiewicz wrote in his May 27 letter. «While I firmly believe we are all better when there is a diversity of viewpoints informing decisions, our ability to make meaningful progress is hampered