Mark Hollis (athletic director)
Encyclopedia
Mark Hollis is the current athletic director
at Michigan State University
. He succeeded Ron Mason
as athletic director on January 1, 2008.
in 1985 and an MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado
in 1992. Hollis was a basketball team manager under former head coach Jud Heathcote
throughout his undergraduate education at Michigan State. Between his BA and MBA, Hollis worked for the Western Athletic Conference under Commissioner Joseph Kearney
, who had previously been Athletic Director at Michigan State.
Hollis was the architect behind the Cold War
, an outdoor ice hockey match-up between rivals Michigan State University
and the University of Michigan
played in 2001 that ended in a 3-3 tie. He later engineered Basketbowl
, a 2003 match-up between Michigan State University
and the University of Kentucky
played at Ford Field
.
More recently, Hollis played a role in the hiring of Michigan State football head coach
Mark Dantonio
. Hollis also played a role in the hiring of women's basketball
head coach Suzy Merchant
.
Hollis hired former Eastern Michigan University
baseball
head coach Jake Boss Jr.
on July 1, 2008.
In January 2010 it was revealed that Hollis and the athletic department staff redesigned the Michigan State logo. The logo, which has received criticism from students, is said be part of a larger "brand and identity project" that will be unveiled in April 2010.
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. He succeeded Ron Mason
Ron Mason
Ron Mason is a Canadian former ice hockey player, head coach and university executive. As head coach of various universities, notably including Michigan State University , he became the winningest ice hockey coach in NCAA history with 924 career wins...
as athletic director on January 1, 2008.
Education
Hollis graduated from Croswell-Lexington High School in Michigan class of 1980. He earned a BA in communication from Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1985 and an MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1992. Hollis was a basketball team manager under former head coach Jud Heathcote
Jud Heathcote
George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
throughout his undergraduate education at Michigan State. Between his BA and MBA, Hollis worked for the Western Athletic Conference under Commissioner Joseph Kearney
Joseph Kearney
Dr. Joseph L. “Joe” Kearney was a renowned coach and sports administrator in university athletics.-Life and work:...
, who had previously been Athletic Director at Michigan State.
Career
Hollis has been a part of the Michigan State athletic department since 1995. In 2002, he was awarded the National Marketer of the Year Award as selected by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA).Hollis was the architect behind the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, an outdoor ice hockey match-up between rivals Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
played in 2001 that ended in a 3-3 tie. He later engineered Basketbowl
Basketbowl
The Basketbowl was a college basketball game between Michigan State University and the University of Kentucky held on December 13, 2003 at Ford Field, a domed American football stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The announced crowd of 78,129 set a record for verified attendance at a basketball game in...
, a 2003 match-up between Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
played at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
.
More recently, Hollis played a role in the hiring of Michigan State football head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Mark Dantonio
Mark Dantonio
Mark Dantonio is the current head football coach at Michigan State University. He was hired on November 27, 2006 and became the 24th head coach at Michigan State. He is credited for winning the 2010 Big Ten Championship and his 4 game win streak over arch-rival Michigan...
. Hollis also played a role in the hiring of women's basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
head coach Suzy Merchant
Suzy Merchant
Suzy Merchant is the current head coach for the Michigan State University Women's Basketball team. She is married to Gary Rakan and has a young son, Tyler Rakan.-Coaching career:...
.
Hollis hired former Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
head coach Jake Boss Jr.
Jake Boss
Jake Boss is the former head baseball coach at Eastern Michigan. Hired after the 2007 season, he only spent one year at EMU before being hired for the position of head baseball coach at Michigan State University. He previously served as an assistant baseball coach at Michigan...
on July 1, 2008.
In January 2010 it was revealed that Hollis and the athletic department staff redesigned the Michigan State logo. The logo, which has received criticism from students, is said be part of a larger "brand and identity project" that will be unveiled in April 2010.