EAST LANSING — Tom Izzo has made a lot of gut checks in his 30 years coaching the Michigan State men’s basketball team. They all pale in comparison to the decision he and other Michigan State leaders made in hiring athletic director J Batt.

Speaking with the added, temporary title of co-interim athletic director, Izzo helped introduce Batt at a press conference Wednesday at an event held in the Tom Izzo Football Building. Izzo took the floor from a university president in Kevin Guskiewicz that he also helped hire, speaking as the de facto face of Michigan State as a university and athletic department. And Izzo expressed a whole lot of faith in his new boss, one that he feels can lead an athletic department that represents Izzo’s life’s work.

“I think gut checks are important, and that fi

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