Alan Haller out as Michigan State athletic director

Alan Haller is out as Michigan State’s athletic director.

The Free Press first reported and the university later confirmed Haller has been relieved of his duties, ending the tenure of the 54-year-old Lansing native and former Spartan and NFL football player after 3½ years.

“I’m grateful for Alan’s leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership,” President Kevin M. Guskiewicz said in a statement. “He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity.”

Haller's last day will be May 11, and Guskiewicz said the university plans to begin a search for a new athletic director in the coming weeks. Jen Smith, MSU’s deputy athletic director and senior women's administrator/compliance, and men's basketball coach Tom Izzo will serve as co-interim athletic director in the meantime, the school said in its release.

“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.”

Haller did not immediately respond for comment.

Haller became MSU’s 20th athletic director on Sept. 1, 2021, replacing Bill Beekman. His five-year contract expires Sept. 1, 2026; buyout negotiations are ongoing, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Haller graduated from J.W. Sexton High in Lansing and went on to play football for the Spartans and coach George Perles from 1988-91. He spent 13 years in the MSU Police Department starting in July 1997 after retiring from football, eventually rising to lieutenant, before joining the athletic department in July 2010.

Haller began as associate athletic director, then was promoted to senior associate athletic director in 2015 and added chief of staff to his title in 2017. Beekman promoted him to his second-in-command as deputy athletic director in 2019.

In becoming athletic director coming out of the pandemic, Haller took over as college sports entered the era of name, image and likeness (NIL). The scale and scope of changes have dramatically reshaped the landscape and roles of administrators and donors, and the restructuring remains an ongoing process that is in federal courts.

A key part of the hiring process for MSU’s last three football coaches, Haller ultimately fired Mel Tucker in 2023 and hired Jonathan Smith as his replacement. In the past few months, Haller also has been working to help bring a new Olympic sports arena to the school.

Haller earned a criminal justice degree from MSU and his master’s degree in human resources from Central Michigan. His only time away from the greater Lansing area came when he played in the NFL with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Carolina from 1992-95.

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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