The differentiation of self-renewingprogenitor cells requires not only the regulation of lineage-and developmental stage-specific genes, but also the coordinated adaptation of housekeeping functionsfrom a metabolically active, proliferative state towards quiescence. How metabolic and cell cycle states are coordinated with the regulation of cell type-specific genes is an important question, as dissociation between differentiation, cell cycle, and metabolic states is a hallmark of cancer. Here we use a model system to systematically identify key transcriptional regulators of Ikaros-dependent B cell progenitor differentiation. We find that the coordinated regulation of housekeeping functions and tissue-specific gene expressionrequires afeedforward circuit whereby Ikarosdownregulates the expression of Myc. Our findings show how coordination between differentiation and housekeeping statescan be achieved by interconnected regulators. Similar principles likely coordinate differentiation and housekeeping functions during progenitor cell differentiation in other cell lineages.