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Michigan State AD J Batt, president Kevin Guskiewicz comment on Jonathan Smith firing

On3 imageby: Jake Lyskawa2 hours agojakelyskawa

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State athletic director J Batt on Sunday released a statement to address the firing of head football coach Jonathan Smith.

“The 2025 football season has not lived up to our shared standards for Michigan State football,” Batt said. “While that does not fall solely on Jonathan Smith, it’s become necessary to make a coaching change in order to chart a new direction for the program.

“We are appreciative of Coach Smith and the manner in which he represented Michigan State with class. Throughout a difficult season, the team continued to compete. While their efforts ultimately didn’t result in enough on-field success, they do speak highly for their character.”

Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz also commented on the firing.

“This was not an easy decision to make,” Guskiewicz said. “I want to thank Coach Jonathan Smith for his service to Michigan State University and for his commitment to our student-athletes. He is a man of very high integrity, and I wish him success in his future endeavors. We will continue to support our players and staff during this transition and future of Spartan football.”

Smith’s firing marks Batt’s first major decision as Michigan State athletic director. Batt replaced former athletic director Alan Haller, who hired Smith, in June.

Batt faced a football coaching change early in his three-year tenure as Georgia Tech’s athletic director. He took the job midway through the 2022 season, the same time Brent Key became interim head coach. Key went 4-4 as interim, and Batt promoted him to permanent head coach at the end of the year.

Batt has developed a reputation as a strong fundraiser over his 20 years in collegiate athletics. Prior to his time at Georgia Tech, he served as deputy athletic director at Alabama. There, he helped develop the Crimson Standard, a $600 million initiative to raise money for athletics.

Now, spearheading a coaching search will join fundraising at the top of Batt’s list of responsibilities at Michigan State. Batt fired Smith after a 4-8 (1-8) finish to the 2025 season. Smith finished his Michigan State tenure 9-15 (4-14) overall.

“Michigan State football has a proud history, a history that includes national championships, Rose Bowl victories, Big Ten Championships and a College Football Playoff appearance,” Batt said. “The standards for our program have not changed. It is our expectation that we compete for championships.

“While we will have a new coach next season, we must also do more as a department to support the program. President Guskiewicz and I are fully aligned to take the necessary steps to position our program to compete at the highest level.

“We are committed to providing an increased level of donor investment, department resources and enhanced infrastructure to effectively and efficiently deploy those resources. Michigan State has an incredibly passionate and loyal fan base, and we will build a program all Spartans can be proud of.”

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