John Engler: Michigan State will not hire new athletic director until after Final Four

Interim president John Engler said Michigan State University is not close to deciding on a new, permanent athletic director.

“Right now, Bill (Beekman) is the interim (athletic director),” Engler told the Free Press on Saturday, “and we won't think about anything until after we cut down the nets in San Antonio.”

The Final Four will be held March 31-April 2 in San Antonio. The Spartans will play Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena (appx. 2:40 p.m./CBS).

Former athletic director Mark Hollis announced his retirement on Jan. 26, hours after ESPN published a story detailing allegations of sexual assault within the MSU basketball and football programs. It also came two days after former president Lou Anna K. Simon announced her retirement in the wake of the Larry Nassar sentencing in Ingham County.

Engler took over for Simon on Feb. 5 and immediately appointed Beekman to run the athletic department on an interim basis. Beekman, who was the university’s temporary president between Simon’s resignation and Engler’s appointment by the MSU Board of Trustees, has no experience in athletic management. Beekman also remains vice president and secretary of the Board of Trustees.

MORE:Interim president John Engler: ESPN report on MSU was 'sensationalized'

Former governor Engler has said MSU will not hire a permanent athletic director from within the school’s athletic department. He said in his February appointment of Beekman that a nationwide search will begin shortly for a permanent athletic director.

Engler did not say if he would be hiring the permanent athletic director or if a new MSU president would make that decision.

“After we finish up in San Antonio,” Engler said, “we’ll probably address that a little bit more.”

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