Careers @ MSU

Working/Functional Title

Assistant Athletic Director, Player Strategy

Position Summary

The Assistant Athletics Director for Player Strategy and Contract Management supports the athlete compensation strategy, revenue sharing administration, roster valuation, and data-driven decision-making for MSU Athletics’ Football and Men’s Basketball programs. This position leverages expertise gained from athlete representation, contract negotiation, player evaluation, and advanced analytics to support recruitment, retention and roster planning. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as the primary athletics department point of contact for men’s basketball and football student-athlete agents, advisors, attorneys, and authorized representatives regarding compensation discussions and roster retention initiatives.
• Facilitate financial negotiations through agreement-in-principle while partnering with athletics legal counsel responsible for contract drafting, legal review, redlining, and final document execution.
• Collaborate with Football GM and Men’s Basketball GM to develop athlete compensation frameworks that balance competitive objectives, roster needs, budget limitations, and long-term program sustainability.
• Leverage analytics, market intelligence, and performance data to evaluate athlete value, compensation investments, roster construction decisions, and return on investment.
• Monitor football and men's basketball athlete markets to identify compensation trends and emerging talent valuation benchmarks.
• Lead advanced analytics initiatives focused on roster construction, athlete acquisition, retention, performance forecasting, and resource allocation.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with agents and industry stakeholders while advising coaches and athletics leadership on marketplace dynamics, compensation trends, and roster strategy.
• Advise coaches and athletics leadership regarding athlete market conditions, negotiation trends, and representation dynamics affecting recruiting, retention, and transfer decisions.
• Coordinate with athletics leadership, finance, and legal counsel to ensure negotiated terms align with institutional policies and applicable regulations.
• Maintain records of compensation commitments, negotiations, and market analyses while supporting long-term athlete compensation and roster investment strategies.
• Manage day-to-day administration for Dropback as primary lead, while coordinating closely with athletics legal counsel on the CAPS system, to maintain accurate digital updates and reporting mechanisms across both systems.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Bachelors -Sports Management, Finance, Business Analytics, Statistics, or related field.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Sports Management, Finance, Business Analytics, Statistics, or related field.
• 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in professional sports representation, athlete contract negotiation, sports analytics, front-office operations, roster management, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience building financial models, valuation frameworks, or compensation analyses.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience as a certified player agent or senior employee within a professional sports agency working with football and/or basketball athletes.
• Experience with salary cap management, roster construction, player personnel, or professional team operations.
• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Sports Administration, Law, Economics, Data Analytics, or related discipline.
• Familiarity with NCAA, NIL, revenue sharing, and intercollegiate athletics governance frameworks.

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Website

www.msuspartans.com

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.