Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon responds to Mark Hollis' tweet to Trey Burke
Update: Mark Hollis says he regrets tweet to Trey Burke
Hours after Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis offered up some Twitter advice to Michigan basketball point guard Trey Burke, Dave Brandon weighed in.
The Michigan athletic director described Hollis' action as inappropriate, but not totally harmful.
Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon.
AnnArbor.com file photo
"Mark Hollis had good intentions-but made a mistake," Brandon wrote. "Not appropriate to tweet one of our student-athletes. Won't happen again. End of story."
Earlier in the day, Hollis reached out to Burke on Twitter with regard to the Wolverine point guard's current decision on whether he'll return to Michigan or opt for the NBA draft.
"My advice," Hollis wrote, "believe in YOUR heart & mind, everything else is interference. People seek u out is better than those that seek u."
According to the Lansing State Journal, Hollis and Brandon spoke about the situation Wednesday.
There is an NCAA bylaw outlawing contact between a student-athlete and a school staff member from a separate institution, but it has to do with student-athletes seeking a transfer.
NCAA Bylaw 13.1.1.3, "Four-Year College Prospects" reads as follows:
An athletics staff member or other representative of the institution's athletics interests shall not make contact with the student-athlete of another NCAA or NAIA four-year collegiate institution, directly or indirectly, without first obtaining the written permission of the first institution's athletics director (or an athletics administrator designated by the athletics director) to do so, regardless of who makes the initial contact. If permission is not granted, the second institution shall not encourage the transfer and the institution shall not provide athletically related financial assistance to the student-athlete until the student- athlete has attended the second institution for one academic year. If permission is granted to contact the student-athlete, all applicable NCAA recruiting rules apply.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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Comments
Liger
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 7:37 p.m.
William Gholston should be suspened for the entire 2012 season for this!
ThoseWhoStayUofM
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.
There should be no NCAA rules regarding twitter. This is just ridiculous. I hate when the powers at be oppress each other and those beneath them just for the simple purpose of maintaining their power. It's like when an abusive husband doesn't allow his wife to talk to any other men under any circumstance. Hollis wasn't trying to recruit Trey Burke. He was just offering general advise that I, for one, thought was pretty sound. Athletic directors don't own the student-athletes that happen to attend their university. The quid-pro-quo is, you can attend for free in return you play the sport and bring in millions of dollars in ticket sales. That's it. Enough of the mindless infringement of their first amendment rights. If the athlete is happy at your school it shouldn't matter what other ADs say to them, just like if your wife is happy in your marriage it doesn't matter what other guys say to her. It's the same exact concept.
Scott Laux
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 3:38 p.m.
Completely unethical. Hollis should have no contact with any player that is not on his team.
chris
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.
It would be nice if the author got the tweet correct as the tweet said "People u seek out is better than those that seek u." Not "People seek u out is better than those that seek u."
smokeblwr
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 10:02 p.m.
The actual twit-text still makes Hollis look the fool.
unclemercy
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.
comedy.
DB
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
This could very well be just what Trey needs to stay in Ann Arbor. By the way, I wonder how much Izzo had to do with this...? LOL
Stephen Landes
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 2:55 p.m.
Not only was Hollis' tweet a violation of NCAA rules the text was illogical, ungrammatical, and violated Hollis' own advice! Trust a Sparty to completely blow it.
MRunner73
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.
Can't help but wonder why or what prompted an AD from MSU to tweet one of our athletes. Very strange. Not sure what the penalty would be in this case.
a2roots
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 1:35 p.m.
Just wondering if Hollis has meddled with other players at other schools or if this is his first infraction.
SalineBob
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
I think he should be suspended for two games. And to get even David Brandon be allowed to tweet a similar message to Russell Byrd.
RustyShackleford
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.
There is no infraction. Did you read the rule cited above? Even if it did apply Hollis didn't "contact" Trey Burke. Maybe if Burke subscribed to Hollis's twitter feed it could be considered contact, but I highly doubt that to be the case. The only thing he is guilty of is posting a nonsensical tweet. Then again what tweet isn't nonsensical.
smokeblwr
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 1:07 p.m.
Is it just me or is it whenever I read a "Tweet" I immediately assume the writer is a moron? Unlike AA.com comments, where we are obviously geniuses.
burton163
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 10:21 a.m.
Yeah, great advice Mr. Hollis. What a great humanitarian. So benevolent and helpful. He was basically saying: don't listen to adults , coaches, etc. that would try to help you make the right decision for your future...like improving your game, getting a degree in case an NBA career doesn't pan out, etc. Just follow your 19 year old, inexperienced "heart"...yeah wonder what he wants Trey to do and how would that benefit his own basketball program...hmmmmmm. Ulterior motives, much? Once again the stench around MSU is similar to the foul odor you get when you drive through Columbus.
rightmind250
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
Get a life dude. Hollis didn't say any of that. Besides do you think Trey would listen to you after you insult his hometown? He has family there. If he stays at UM it certainly won't be because of fans like you.
TheRedMieni
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 7:10 a.m.
He was pushing the kid's buttons...Some smart ones over there in Ann Arbor, or whatever trailer park that just drove within range of the nearest wi-fi signal without password protection.
GoBlue2009
Thu, Mar 29, 2012 : 4:57 a.m.
So, Hollis essentially tells Burke to avoid the "interference of those that seek him out." Which is exactly what Hollis does. Some smart ones up there in East Lansing.