The Michigan State athletic program is making a big change at the top as the university is letting go of athletic director Alan Haller. Haller has been the AD since 2021, but the Spartans are now looking to move in a new direction. The search for a new AD is on, and in the meantime, the Spartans will have two interim athletic directors. One of them is head basketball coach Tom Izzo.

“Michigan State announces that AD Alan Haller is out,” Nicole Auerbach said in a post. “Deputy AD Jennifer Smith and basketball coach Tom Izzo will serve as co-interim athletic directors during the AD search.”

Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz announced the move on Thursday. He is appreciative of what Alan Haller has done for the Spartans, but he knows that it is time to move on.

“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. “He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity.”

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This is an important hire for Michigan State as we have entered a new era of college athletics. The next 10-15 years will be huge in terms of finding out what programs are going to adapt to the times, and which ones will be left in the past.

“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 has one of the better athletic programs in the country as the Spartans excel at a number of major sports. The football program has been down in recent years, but basketball is always a strength for Michigan State, and the hockey team is one of the best in the nation right now as well.

While the Michigan State football program has struggled this decade, the Spartans were one of the better teams in the Big Ten during the 2010s. It's reasonable to expect the team to find its footing again soon, and making the right AD hire will help speed up that process.