Shocking Ouster: Big Ten’s Top Athletic Director Abruptly Fired in Early Morning Shakeup
Ah, the ever-turning wheel of college sports leadership—just when you think the 2025 season’s excitement will come solely from the gridiron, here’s a curveball: Michigan State’s athletic director Alan Haller is stepping down come May 11. Now, if you ask me, overseeing athletics in a college town often overlooked despite its fierce fan base and storied legacy is no small feat. Haller, a former Spartan cornerback turned AD, made some bold calls—most notably, firing Mel Tucker and bringing Jonathan Smith on board—as he navigated MSU through turbulent waters. But with the NIL era reshaping the landscape faster than a Michigan January snowstorm, it begs the question: who’s ready to steer this ship next? The stakes are sky-high, with innovation and community engagement at the forefront, and MSU’s president isn’t just looking for a placeholder—he wants a visionary who can connect dots inside and outside Spartan Stadium and keep the momentum alive. Intrigued? There’s plenty more to unpack here, so let’s dive deeper into this pivotal transition.
With the 2025 college football season roughly four months away, at least one Big Ten school is making a significant change to its athletic department.
Michigan State announced on Thursday that Alan Haller is stepping down from his role as athletic director, a role that he’s held onto since September 2021. His final day will be on May 11.
Haller, who once played cornerback for the Spartans, has been with MSU athletics since 2010. The biggest decision he made during his tenure as athletic director was hiring Jonathan Smith to run the football program. This came after he fired Mel Tucker for cause.
Kevin Guskiewicz, the current president at Michigan State, said Haller led with “honest and integrity” over the past few years.
“I’m grateful for Alan’s leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership,” Guskiewicz said in a press release.
Nonetheless, the Spartans are ready for a new leader.
Guskiewicz will search for an athletic director who works “closely with both internal and external stakeholders” to ensure Michigan State has success in the NIL era.
“This is a pivotal time for college athletics, where innovation, effective communications and community engagement are more important than ever,” Guskiewicz said. “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.”
Michigan State will lean on the search firm TurnkeyZRG as it tries to find its replacement for Haller. An advisory committee will also be part of this process.
It’s unclear when Michigan State will name a new athletic director.
Related: Ex-Big Ten Athletic Director Allegedly Had Affair With School’s Coach
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