Michigan State AD Mark Hollis' devotion to the school "can't be denied," and while he "probably could cash a bigger paycheck somewhere else ... this is home," according to Matt Charboneau of the DETROIT NEWS, which profiled Hollis and Michigan AD Dave Brandon on successive days. MSU "is Mark Hollis, and he proves it every day." When MSU hosted Indiana last Saturday, it was a day "filled with handshakes, pictures, jabs at a few folks wearing Michigan gear." But while that is a busy day for most, it is "just another day at the office" for Hollis (DETROIT NEWS, 10/17).
BRANDON THE PERFECTIONIST: In Detroit, Angelique Chengelis profiles Brandon as a "perfectionist." Football is the "cash cow for Michigan athletics, and fine-tuning every detail on a gameday" that brings in upward of $6M every home game is when Brandon is "at his best." From something as "mundane as checking the water temperature in the visitor’s locker room showers, to indulging superstitions, to testing concession food, and everything in-between, Brandon’s day is full of housekeeping work and troubleshooting." Brandon's wife, Jan, "takes care of all things in the athletic director’s suite, from the food to the décor." Michigan Stadium's student section, which has taken a general-admission approach this season, "hasn't been perfect," and the student body president this week "released a statement that the students will have more input" before the '14 season. But Brandon believes that he "had to do something with so many no-shows at kickoffs last season" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/18).
