Michigan State announced Thursday that it was making a change at athletic director.
Alan Haller’s last day as the school’s AD will be on May 11. Men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo will serve as the co-interim athletic director along with deputy athletic director Jennifer Smith. Haller had been MSU’s AD since the fall of 2021.
"I'm grateful for Alan's leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership," Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz said in a statement. "He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity."
Haller hired current football coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State ahead of the 2024 season after Mel Tucker was fired in September of 2023. Tucker, who was hired ahead of the 2020 season, was fired for cause after he was accused of sexually harassing a sexual assault survivor who was brought in to work with the team. Guskiewicz became the school's president just months after Tucker's firing.
MSU is also under an NCAA investigation for alleged violations under Tucker's tenure. In early April, the school said it was cooperating with the NCAA and that it was not permitted to say more about the investigation due to NCAA rules.
Izzo led the men’s basketball team to a 30-7 record in 2024-25 and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans lost 70-64 to Auburn in the Elite Eight. MSU has been to the NCAA tournament 27 times since Izzo took over in 1995 and has made it to eight Final Fours.
"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."
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