On game days at Michigan State University, well before tipoff — before the Breslin Center fills with a sea of green and white and before the men’s basketball players even lace up their shoes — Mike “Mex” Carey is already hard at work, meticulously preparing to help the team shine.
Carey doesn’t wear a jersey, but he’s no benchwarmer. Behind the scenes, the Spartans’ PR lead helps shape and share the stories that keep Michigan State’s basketball legacy alive.
As associate director of athletic communications, Carey has been orchestrating media engagement for men’s basketball since 2017. He notes that his nickname, Mex, is just a playground moniker that stuck, and stuck well. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who calls the well-regarded spokesperson anything else, even in professional circles.
“In a business where relationships matter, you won’t find someone friendlier or more outgoing than Mex,” said Matt Larson, executive senior associate athletics director for communications.
In February, Carey was honored by his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, with the John Domino Award for Excellence in Sports Media, recognizing his outstanding career and lasting contributions to collegiate athletics communications.
Making Spartans’ press coverage a slam dunk
Carey’s responsibilities run the full court: managing press conferences, coordinating coach and player interviews, assisting TV crews and ensuring the team’s stories reach Spartan fans around the globe. With more than 30 years in athletics communications, Carey approaches his work with humility and humor.
“It tends to be hectic, but as I like to say, when you’re winning, it’s happy work,” he said.
Hectic might be an understatement. On game days, media requests can start arriving before sunrise and continue well into the night. Throughout the day, Carey juggles a dozen or more calls from sportswriters, drafts press materials and gathers research on opposing teams for the coaching staff.
That relentless pace pays off with stories about MSU Athletics that are accurate, clear and — whenever possible — positive.
“His connections have provided great exposure not only for our men’s basketball program, but for MSU as a whole, bringing fans and alumni closer to the players, coaches and their alma mater,” Larson said.
Carey is quick to redirect any praise toward those around him, especially Head Coach Tom Izzo. “He’s great. He’s demanding, but I’ve learned a ton from him,” Carey said.
Since joining MSU, Carey has navigated countless high-profile moments, from the 2019 Final Four and eight NCAA Tournament appearances (among the program’s 27 straight) to milestone achievements in Izzo’s storied career, including surpassing Bobby Knight as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in coaching victories. Each event has tested Carey’s organizational prowess and his endurance.
He credits that fortitude to his favorite pastime: running. Carey has completed multiple marathons and last year fulfilled a lifelong dream by competing in the Boston Marathon, raising more than $12,000 for the Boston Fire Department Relief Fund in the process, a cause and city close to his heart.
Originally from upstate New York, Carey also has strong ties to Boston, where his daughter attended college. Those visits gave him the perfect excuse to cheer on his beloved Red Sox whenever he was in town.
Whether managing a courtside media scrum or pounding the pavement on a long run, Carey brings the same steady rhythm of focus, preparation and heart. His work keeps Spartan basketball in the national conversation and ensures the stories behind the program’s success are told with integrity. For the man called Mex, it’s never about being in the spotlight, it’s about helping the team, and MSU, shine when it matters most.
