Kurt Richardson - Director of Player Engagement - Football Support Staff

Kurt Richardson

Title:
Director of Player Engagement
Email:
football@msu.edu
Phone:
355-1647

Kurt Richardson joined Michigan State as the Director of Player Engagement for the Spartan football program in August 2023. His role is strategically designed to help recruit and retain student-athletes by enhancing the overall player experience through comprehensive player development initiatives.

Richardson coordinates and spearheads the football program’s player development efforts and serves as a mentor to the current Spartan roster. His responsibilities also include alumni engagement, career networking, university outreach, and community service. In addition, Richardson has been an integral part of Michigan State’s recent transfer portal recruiting success, contributing to the program securing a top-15 (No. 12) portal recruiting class in 2024 and a top-30 (No. 28) portal class in 2025.

Richardson is the founder of Encore Athletix and has spent more than a decade working with NFL teams and Division I football programs to facilitate athlete development beyond the field. He has delivered unique player engagement experiences to more than 500 professional athletes and more than 1,000 NCAA student-athletes through collaborations with the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, NFL Player Engagement, and ESPN’s Black Sports Symposium.

A native of Lansing, Michigan, Richardson has also hosted rookie success transition programs for several NFL franchises, including the Dolphins, Giants, Jets, Ravens, Colts, Jaguars, and Rams. He has worked with multiple Pro Bowl players, including Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson, and Ndamukong Suh, and has assisted NFL and NCAA student-athletes in securing internships and job shadowing opportunities.

Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s degree in strategic communication from Michigan State University, where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA. In 2025 he completed the Organizational Leadership PhD program at Liberty University with a 4.0 GPA and is scheduled to defend his dissertation in the winter of 2026. Richardson was elected to the Lansing Board of Education in 2022 and also serves as the Pathway to Success Mentorship Facilitator for the Los Angeles Rams.