Michigan State Spartans: Mark Hollis retires for the sake of healing

On Friday afternoon, Michigan State Spartans’ athletic director Mark Hollis announced his retirement in order to help victims heal.

Since 2008, Michigan State has had one of the most successful, and innovative, athletic departments, pertaining to on-field results, of any in the country. However, behind closed doors, evil was taking place in the sports clinic in the form of Larry Nassar.

The “doctor” was accused time and time again of sexual abuse by unsuspecting female athletes over the years, but trainers and gymnastics coaches turned blind eyes.

Hollis first learned about the abuse in 2016 despite a Title IX investigation taking place in 2014 — and that may have been his biggest mistake. He should have been informed of such a matter that was putting student-athletes and young females in harm’s way.

On Friday afternoon, the 10th-year athletic director announced his retirement from the position despite reiterating that he knew nothing of the abuse beforehand.

While he may not have known of the abuse taking place, he made the right move by stepping down in order to let the victims, and the university, heal during this dark time.

This was something Lou Anna K. Simon was forced to do but Hollis felt it was only right that he step down in order to support the victims and voice his support. He retired for the right reasons, but he admitted that hearing the court testimonies from the victims really impacted him. He took them personally and made the move to step down to prevent further emotional damage.

Hollis will be remembered for the end of his tenure, but he has already said he will cooperate with the investigation of the program. Assuming he comes out clean, his legacy before the Nassar trial will be a strong one. He was responsible for putting Michigan State athletics back on the map and being one of the most outside-the-box thinkers of any AD in the country.

This is what it looks like when adults act like adults.