Clemson’s expected hire for new president isn’t happening after all. What we know
Kevin Guskiewicz won’t be joining Clemson after all.
The school’s splashy new university president hire — who was formally hired on May 27 and was expected to start at Clemson in August — is staying put in his role as Michigan State University’s president, The State has confirmed.
It’s a stunning pivot for Clemson and Guskiewicz just over a month after his hiring. Guskiewicz was on campus and participating in university board of trustees meetings two weeks ago, and he said in his introductory news conference that he and his family hoped to be at Clemson for “many, many years.”
In a message sent to campus and later shared on social media, Clemson said its university board of trustees was informed Monday that Guskiewicz “has chosen to remain at Michigan State University for personal reasons.”
According to multiple media outlets covering MSU, Guskiewicz is returning to Michigan State and signing a five-year contract extension after a push from Spartans men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, MSU board of trustees members and other top university leaders to retain the well-liked president.
When he was hired at Clemson, Guskiewicz hinted at dysfunction among MSU’s board of trustees as a top reason for his decision to leave the Big Ten school.
It was an “unsustainable situation,” he wrote in a message to MSU.
Michigan State student and faculty groups started a “We (Heart) Kevin G” campaign to shower their outgoing president with posters and notes of thanks. Izzo, Michigan State’s legendary basketball coach, also raved about Guskiewicz.
“The alums better stand up,” Izzo said.
Notably, Guskiewicz’s contract extension with Michigan State reportedly includes an annual base salary of $1 million — less than the $1.216 million he was set to make at Clemson, and another that his decision to remain at MSU (and leave Clemson in the first place) wasn’t exclusively financially motivated.
Guskiewicz, 60, was set to replace Jim Clements, who retired as Clemson’s president in December after 12 years. Before accepting MSU’s president job in 2024, Guskiewicz was previously a longtime faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Tar Heels’ chancellor from 2019-24.
Clemson will resume its presidential search soon, the university said in a statement Monday. Provost Bob Jones had been serving as interim president after Clements’ December retirement and could resume those duties.
“(Our) national search had a robust pool of candidates, and the Board will be meeting soon to determine next steps,” Clemson wrote in an email to campus.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Clemson’s expected hire for new president isn’t happening after all. What we know."
