Michigan State has announced a pair of coaching staff additions, as Brad Fast stays on as director of player development and Mike Porter joins the Spartans staff as director of player personnel.
“Brad Fast has been a member of two coaching staffs in his time at Michigan State and has been a critical asset to our program in his player development role,” said MSU head coach Adam Nightingale in a news release. “Mike Porter is another Spartan we have added to our staff, and he will be a great asset not only in our day-to-day team operations, but also in our alumni relations.
“We feel really good about our staff – we have a dedicated group in every area supports our student-athletes along their educational and hockey journey.”
Fast, a former Spartan captain, has a considerable background in player development in addition to his own experience as a high-level collegiate player and professional athlete. Previously the director of hockey operations at MSU (2015-19), Fast rejoined the Spartan staff in the summer of 2022 after a year and a half at Honeybaked Hockey Club in the Detroit area where he was the club’s director of athlete development.
The former Spartan defenseman (1999-2003) has been involved in hockey skill development and coaching at every level, from youth hockey through working with professional athletes. He founded the East Lansing-based Elevation Hockey in 2011, a training organization that mentored players of all ages to enhance their skills and performance. He owned and was the head skills coach at Elevation while also serving as the hockey director of the Lansing Hockey Club.
Porter’s duties include the daily oversight of the program budget, team and recruiting travel, and on-campus recruiting activities. He will also be actively involved in alumni engagement, university outreach, community service, and NIL education.
A licensed attorney, Porter spent the last 15 years as a partner at two national law firms where he worked with professional hockey players, coaches and organizations on matters ranging from non-profit formation to professional service and endorsement contracts, and also had a hand in negotiating some of the largest coaching contracts in NHL history.
Porter previously served as an assistant varsity hockey coach at Detroit Catholic Central High School, where he helped his alma mater win six Division I state championships in a 12-year coaching career. He has also served as a scout in the NHL, USHL and BCHL.
Porter graduated from Michigan State in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration – Pre Law and completed his Juris Doctorate degree the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in May 2006. He was part of Michigan State’s 2001 Frozen Four team as well.
