Alan Haller out as Michigan State University athletic director
Michigan State University announced Thursday that Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Alan Haller is leaving the school.
Haller's last day is May 11.
"I'm grateful for Alan's leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership," said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz in a statement. "He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity."
Guskiewicz says the university seeks a new athletic director "who can best navigate the changing landscape of collegiate athletics while working closely with both internal and external stakeholders to move Michigan State forward as a leader among the Power Four institutions."
The university will launch a search for Haller's replacement in the coming weeks. Jennifer Smith, the school's current deputy athletic director, and men's basketball coach Tom Izzo will serve as co-interim athletic directors during the search.
"This is a pivotal time for college athletics, where innovation, effective communications and community engagement are more important than ever," said Guskiewicz. "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."
Haller was appointed vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics in September 2021.
A Lansing native and former member of MSU's football and track and field teams, Haller was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. Before his tenure in the university's athletic department, Haller spent 13 years as a police officer with MSU's Department of Police and Public Safety.
During the 2024-25 academic year, MSU's men's basketball, women's soccer, women's gymnastics, men's hockey and women's cross country programs won Big Ten championships. In 2024, MSU student-athletes recorded the highest cumulative GPA in athletic department history with a 3.4324.
MSU is partnering with the search firm TurnkeyZRG and says an advisory committee will work with Guskiewicz and the search firm during the hiring process.