Michigan State expected to hire Georgia Tech's J Batt as athletic director, per report

Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt is expected to be hired in a similar position at Michigan State, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. Batt served as the athletic director at Georgia Tech since 2022 and made previous stops as the associate AD at East Carolina (2013-17) and Alabama as the deputy athletic director (2017-22).

Batt replaces former MSU AD Alan Haller after the university parted ways with him last month. Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo and deputy athletic director Jennifer Smith served as co-interim athletic directors while the university searched for a full-time replacement.

"This is a pivotal time for college athletics, where innovation, effective communications and community engagement are more important than ever," Michigan State University president Kevin M. Guskiewicz said in a statement last month. "Our next athletic director will lead one of the nation's more storied athletic programs, home to 23 varsity sports, a passionate fan base, a long legacy of academic and athletic excellence and, most importantly, an ambitious future."

While at Georgia Tech, Batt oversaw the hires of football coach Brent Key and basketball coach Damon Stoudamire. Under Key, Georgia Tech finished with at least seven wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the early 2010s.

With Batt expected to make his way to East Lansing, Georgia Tech will embark on a search for a new athletic director for the fourth time since 2012.