Michigan State is in the middle of a search for a new athletic director, but it does not sound like that process has been going smoothly.

According to a report from Chris Solari with the Detroit Free Press, head basketball coach and Spartan legend Tom Izzo was approached by a group of trustees from the school about serving as the AD on an interim basis. He agreed to serve in that role until the next AD was found, but that move was reportedly blocked by MSU President Samuel Stanley.

Per Solari, the biggest issue at hand is the perception of the ongoing AD search by the university’s Board of Trustees. Stanley has conducted a quick search and is hoping to present a candidate to the board as early as next week without actively involving the Board of Trustees, head football coach Mel Tucker, or Izzo in the process.

Solari described the situation as a “standoff” between the president and parts of the board:

That has resulted in a standoff between the president and members of the Board of Trustees, who have been fighting for transparency with the candidate pool and are concerned about the timing of trying to make an AD hire during football season. The trustees — some of whom are backing Stanley, some of whom are trying to get the board more engaged in the process — ultimately would have to approve Stanley’s choice.

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out in East Lansing. Football season is just around the corner with the Spartans set to open the year on Sept. 3 at Northwestern.