First public words from Alan Haller following yesterday’s announcement
Following yesterday’s announcement that Alan Haller would be departing his post as MSU Athletic Director on May 11, Haller issued the following statement through his attorneys at Blanchard & Walker, PLLC:
Throughout my career, I have consistently spoken up when I believed something was not right — always guided by a commitment to protect students and uphold the best interests of the University. At times, those decisions have not aligned with individuals in positions of significant influence.
Although I am deeply saddened to be leaving the University, I am proud of my record and the lasting impact of my work. As I continue to process this decision, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Spartan community for their unwavering support.
Serving as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Michigan State University has been one of the greatest honors of my life. For 32 years, I have been a Spartan—first as a student-athlete in track and football, then as a Police Officer, and later in various leadership roles within Spartan Athletics.
To the student-athletes: THANK YOU for allowing me the privilege of serving as your athletic director. It has been an incredible journey — and yes, it has been FUN! Supporting your success has never been just a job; it was my responsibility and my joy to help create an environment where you could thrive and become the best version of yourselves.
Michigan State is partnering with search firm TurnkeyZRG to identify and hire Haller’s replacement. TurnkeyZRG states that they have been involved with over 200 executive-level searches within intercollegiate athletics which includes, athletic directors, deputy athletic-directors, and head coaches. Recently Turnkey has or is assisting with AD hires at SMU (2025), TCU (2024), and the University of the Pacific (2023).
Current MSU Deputy AD Jennifer Smith and Tom Izzo will serve as co-interim AD’s.