The job as an athletic director is one of the most underappreciated, yet highly-criticized positions in college sports. It’s become somewhat of a thankless job, and one people really only recognize when things go awry.

But the media took time to give some of those hard-working ADs some well-deserved kudos. In a poll run by Sports Illustrated, members of the media were asked to vote on some of the best ADs in the country.

Two ADs from the B1G received votes: Michigan State’s Mark Hollis and Northwestern’s Jim Phillips.

Sports Illustrated writer Bruce Feldman created the voting system and asked the media to answer to basic questions: what factors are in play for the ADs? Who are the top three in the business?

Hollis ranked second while Phillips came in seventh.

Here’s the reason Hollis ranked so high:

Has made two excellent, excellent hires [Mark Dantonio and Tom Izzo] that have paid off in a big way for Michigan State. Has also kept those coaches there. Thinks way out of the box in terms of events and exposure.

And on Phillips:

[Men’s basketball coach] Chris Collins and [women’s basketball coach] Joe McKeown were perfect hires, and he has kept [football coach Pat Fitzgerald] at a below-market salary. NU is about to get ginormous facilities upgrade in all sports. Players feel they have a personal relationship with him because he’s tireless, driving four hours for a cross-country meet.

Sports Illustrated also had athletic directors give out votes for their colleagues across the country. Hollis and Phillips did not receive a majority of those votes, however.