It's Clear Who Michigan State Should Hire as Next AD

Michigan State needs to make this hire for its next athletic director.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; The Michigan State Spartans mascot perform in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Michigan State University athletic department is in a world of chaos, and the majority of these issues stem from the institution's incompetent Board of Trustees.

For the past several decades, MSU's Board of Trustees has been more of a complete joke than a functioning body. Now, those mistakes are compiling.

A few weeks ago, Michigan State lost its president, Kevin Guskiewicz, who decided to take over as the next president at Clemson University. Then, MSU lost its athletic director, J Batt, who is in the process of finalizing a deal to take over as the next AD at the University of Kentucky.

University of Kentucky athletics director J Batt speaks with members of the media during an interview session in Lexington, Ky., on June 16, 2026. Batt was introduced this week as the successor to retiring athletics director Mitch Barnhart. | Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Both moves were avoidable. Guskiewicz is taking significantly less money to make the move to Clemson, and Batt is shifting to an athletic department that operates on a much lesser scale than that of Michigan State. Both exits stemmed from disputes with the BoT.

Things need to change for the better in East Lansing, and fast. Spartan Nation believes Tom Izzo needs to be the university's next president, but the best candidate for its next athletic director is just as clear.

Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans A.D. Mark Hollis comes out of tunnel before a game against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-Imagn Images | Mike Carter-Imagn Images

Michigan State Must Bring Mark Hollis Back

Mark Hollis did a fantastic job as Michigan State's AD from 2008 to 2018. In his time with Sparty, Hollis played a major role in the inception of projects such as "The Basketbowl," a basketball game between Michigan State and Kentucky at Ford Field, and in hirings such as Mark Dantonio.

In 2018, Hollis resigned in the midst of the Larry Nassar scandal. Hollis emphatically asked the BoT to publicly state that he had nothing to do with Nassar, and yet they failed to do so.

Now, veteran Michigan State beat writer and founder of Spartan Nation, Hondo S. Carpenter Sr., believes it's time to bring Hollis back to East Lansing.

Mark Hollis speaks during the trophy presentation of Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Sunday, July 4, 2021. | Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

"Mark Hollis was the best athletic director Michigan State had since Biggie Munn," Carpenter said.

"The Board needs to immediately pay Mark Hollis back every dime from his contract when he left, because they wouldn't support him," Carpenter later added. "Hire him with a 10-year, ironclad deal, and if they hire anyone else not named Mark Hollis, they all should be recalled."

Mark Hollis, CEO of Rock Ventures Sports & Entertainment, smiles as he puts away his putter during the Rocket Classic Pro-Am in Detroit on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. | David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hollis had a highly successful tenure at Michigan State, but his time was cut short when the university's Board of Trustees failed to support him when he needed it most. It's time for the university to make the right hire and bring Hollis back to East Lansing.

Then, MSU needs to hope Izzo considers taking on the role as president.

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