EAST LANSING, Mich. – Bill Beekman is taking over the role of interim athletic director at Michigan State University as the school deals with fallout from the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
Beekman recently was filling the role of university president until the Board of Trustees named former Michigan Gov. John Engler as interim president. Engler then named Beekman to the temporary athletic director position.
Beekman served as vice president and secretary of the Board since 2008. His duties included administrative responsibilities for board meetings, university ordinances, policies and courtesies, the university said in a statement. Previously, he served as executive director of the MSU Alumni Association.
"Just as the Board of Trustees had confidence in Bill to keep things moving as acting president, I have confidence that he will provide very capable leadership of the athletic department during this time of transition,” Engler said in a statement released Monday.
Engler said a nationwide search will begin shortly for a permanent athletic director and that no internal candidates will be considered in the search process.
Longtime university president Lou Anna K. Simon resigned from her position last month. Then athletic director Mark Hollis resigned.
Watch Hollis' outgoing news conference here: