Fast, Porter Round Out Hockey Staff

Head coach Adam Nightingale has announced a pair of coaching staff additions, as Brad Fast stays on as the Director of Player Development and Mike Porter joins the Spartan staff as the 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," noted Nightingale, who will begin his second season behind the bench this fall. "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 Detroit. There, he was the club's Director of Athlete Development where he worked alongside specialized professionals and coaches to create, implement, and oversee player development plans and best-practice teaching protocols.

The former Spartan defenseman 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. In that role, Fast oversaw the selection and education of coaches as well as planning the development of individual and team advancement.

A standout blueliner at Michigan State from 1999-2003, Fast compiled 114 career points in 164 career games and helped lead MSU to the Frozen Four in 2001. As a senior and team captain, he garnered both All-America and Academic All-America honors that season and was also named the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman. Fast's team-leading 35 assists in 2002-03 ranks as the seventh-highest single-season total by a defenseman in school history. Additionally, he was selected as the winner of the Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, honoring an MSU senior student-athlete who carries a minimum 3.0 GPA and is active in community service initiatives.

Fast was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the 1999 NHL Draft, and spent a total of three seasons in the organization. In 2006, he moved overseas and played in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and South Korea until his retirement in 2011.

Fast, a native of Fort St. John, British Columbia, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in general management and psychology from MSU in 2003. Fast and his wife, Lindsay reside in East Lansing with their three sons, Riley, Beckett and Gavin.

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 (Name, Image and Likness) education.

Porter, a licensed attorney, spent the last fifteen 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 D1 state championships in a twelve-year coaching career. He has also served as a scout in the NHL, USHL and BCHL.

A native of Plymouth, Michigan, Porter spent two seasons playing junior hockey for the Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL) and Wexford Raiders (OPJHL) prior to enrolling at MSU. He was a part of MSU's 2001 Frozen Four team.

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.

Porter resides in Plymouth, Michigan with his daughters Ani and Lucy.

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